Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times book reviews

The Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times book is going to be published in February 2020!

 

Here is the back copy of the book and some testimonials from those who have read the manuscript.

 

Have you ever felt that you were talking to someone and the other person had no common sense at all? No matter how hard you tried to explain your point of view, it seemed you were talking about a completely different situation.

Most of us have experienced this frustration and seemingly pointless uphill battle.

Have you ever considered that the other side had exactly the same feeling about you, but for a different reason?

I lost my first business and ruined friendships because I used to think that speaking the same language, and having common sense and good intentions, would be enough to get along with others. I was wrong. It was not even enough to understand or accept myself.

Just like most people who don’t change until it hurts enough, I waited for that personal and professional slap in the face to embark on my mission to find out why people think, feel, and behave so differently; and how we can turn those differences into synergy instead of painful liability.

There are plenty of books and online courses about cultural intelligence and personal and leadership development. They tend to be informative but rarely transformative. Knowledge without practice is like a teabag without hot water, and this hybrid book is meant to be the bridge in every sense.

Every chapter in the book is fully integrated with an interactive coaching platform to challenge your views on concepts you might have taken for granted. It will stretch your comfort zone to a point where life is going to make much more sense in these unusual times.

Uncommon Sense

Jimena Andino Dorato

                                                                                                          Testimonials

“Cultural intelligence (ICQ) has been essential to level up my self-awareness, self-esteem, and personal growth. Is now the foundation of my coaching practice and how I create an impact on individuals and organisations. The insights that “Uncommon sense in unusual times” brings to the table are essential to study and practice for anyone who aims to engage and lead in this Global world and during this unusual and VUCA times.”

Sinto Llobera – CEO of ICQ Global Asia

“This is the book I’ve been waiting for! Not only does it give a brilliant introduction to the science of intercultural intelligence, but also gives the keys for getting along with people who are different to ourselves.”

Satya Tanner – Leadership and VUCA Skills Coach www.satyatanner.com

 

“Change, intercultural, coaching, self-awareness, and innovation are some of the most leading notions in my everyday professional life, and I am delighted to have found them all together. The book put forward a paradigm shift combining personality types and cultural dimensions, traditional notions are revisited, intercultural finds its way not limited to country specificities, gender or generations, and coaching is invited to the game. Self-awareness is offered from two perspectives : the author’s experience, learning and vulnerability and an interactive online Quest for the reader to explore the topics addressed in the book. A  XXI Century approach to move forward in better living together!  

Jimena Andino Dorato – Certified Coach & Money Coach

“Uncommonly sensible, that’s how I describe Csaba Toth’s successful expedition to join two significant strands of 20th century theory into a 21st century framework to solve the perils of globalisation. If we don’t get inclusion right in the next 10 years, we’re destined for less creative, less fair and less fun workplaces. For people working and consulting in diverse workplaces, you have to have a cultural perspective. You need a global mindset. Humanity may have access to more advanced and instantaneous translation than ever before, but even when we speak the same language, we can experience great gaps in understanding. Gaps that lead to confusion, conflict and disengagement. Tools that help you step out of cultural, personal and professional biases and into creative forms of communication and collaborative action are essential. Csaba’s book can help you overcome the perils and realize the potential of globalisation. I know, I have been using the tools successfully for a number of years in my own business and my clients are the ones reaping the benefits of a simple and yet powerful tool to make sense of our unusual times. Drop MBTI, Insights, and DISC. Go Global DISC.”
Skip Bowman, CEO and Founder, Global Mindset, Copenhagen

 

“Csaba’s book is an authentic, eye opening and a thought provoking one about cultural intelligence, based on his own experiences. It helped me in identify my own life and career goals as well as upgrade my personal and business relationships. I suggest you read it, reflect on it and experience the Quest, so it can be life and career changing for you, too.”

Janos Laincsek – CEO of ICQ Global Hungary

 

“I first met Csaba in March 2013 when I was looking to connect with intercultural facilitators on a trip to Europe. He generously shared with me an early iteration of Global DISC in its infancy. Some six years later it is with great pleasure and vicarious pride that I am able to share in the launch of Csaba’s book, “Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times.” It is a well-written quick moving, practical and informative insight into how to learn, sharpen and polish Cultural Intelligence as the essential 21st century leadership skill. For me, Csaba brings this lifelong quest back to the human level and where we began as people, “How do we connect and move forward together to achieve a common goal?”

Holona Lui – Director, Catalyst Pacific Ltd, Aotearoa, New Zealand

 

“This book, ”Uncommon sense”  is an excellent eye-opener for Leaders and all Others who are faced with the daily challenges of working and living in our increasingly complex global Environment. It addresses the whole spectrum of change in a global and culturally diverse Environment by focusing on the ”why, how and what” of  all challenges and misconceptions  we need to constructively deal with in this increasingly complex global environment.  Applying  ICQ  is  according to my professional experience  as an HR leader and my life as a ”global citizen”  a  condicio sine qua non “ to learn to master our complex mind to ensure we  evolve from a survival to creation state of being. “

Gwen Murray – co-founder and managing partner of “People Change Synapse”

 

“This book has a fresh and uncomplicated approach on cultural intelligence, global mindset, leadership and our relationship with people. The content is rooted in Csaba’s research and belief that intercultural is not just international but interpersonal. Each chapter is rich with references, his experiences and things that most of us experience. This book is not an empty show of virtuosity because at the end of the book each reader will get a free Global DISC assessment, a blueprint of their own mindset and an interactive coaching platform to put theory into practice. “

Wieke Gur – CEO of ICQ Global Indonesia

 

“Csaba’s book is excellent and profound in many ways. It invites us to deep-level reflection on diversity and inclusion and provides hands-on solutions for dealing with complex situations. In an accessible and easy to understand way he explains the importance of self-inclusion and the ability to decode cognitive diversity for creating an inclusive environment. Combining the neuroscientific principles with latest business research Csaba’s book will help you boost your Cultural Intelligence for  high performance in challenging environments.”

Anna Zelno – Shortlisted for European Diversity Awards as Inspirational Role Model 2019, Intercultural Trainer and Diversity Management Consultant

 

“The arrival of ‘Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times’ could not be timelier: Globalisation presents us with tremendous VUCA challenges that can no longer be resolved single-handedly. Yet, more and more nations, businesses and individuals are turning their back on connecting and collaborating with other cultures. Only when we are able to bridge distances between people, practice tolerance, and solve conflicts by joining together through ICQ-Cultural Intelligence can we find sustainable solutions for our future to thrive. Csaba in his book does not only offer a well-researched comprehensive and long-overdue definition of culture and busts all the misperceptions that come with it; and with Global DISC™ he also provides THE cutting-edge approach to ICQ-Cultural Intelligence. It is a self-awareness and communication tool that no interculturalist, global leader, nor business can do without anymore, if they want to be able to understand and leverage personal and cultural differences to successfully serve their customers, teams, partners, colleagues in the best possible way: professionally, effectively and with integrity. Highly practical and recommendable!”

Marina Ibrahim – AWARD-WINNING Global & Cultural Agility Coaching & Training Consultant, www.globility-coaching.com

 

“Sensing capability is critical for leaders in the world of connectivity. Many knows where to go, or at least putting serious effort to define the finish line – sadly, few really spend time to understand where to start. No wonder we see lots of frustration from leaders desperately wanting to make changes. And one thing that get the most complained is “behaviour”. Most of us understand there are many drivers for behaviour. Yet, we still ignoring that fact when we have to deal with specific behaviour. This book will challenge our habit in approaching people issue and it will provide us with a simple structure to understand the why, what, and how of day-to-day behaviour we see. Good ingredients for leaders willing to harness their sensing capability and to be more effective in day-to-day job.”

Hendro Fujiono ST., MS., PhD. – Practical Change Management Expert/Coach, FujiShepherd & Associates

 

“Csaba’s writing style is unique; his ideas are unconventional; his book is conversational, jargon-free and witty. The content is persuasive, practical and theoretically underpinned at the same time. If you are a change maker, or a manager at any level or a person working within cross-functional teams in your organization, this book is for you. Do you care deeply about diversity and inclusion? Do you fancy creating connected global teams in a disconnected world – a world where conflicts, differences of opinions and perspectives, aggressions and microaggressions affect the mental health of workplaces? Whenever decision-making becomes risky in fast-paced businesses, we hesitate to accept that “our almost perfect view of the world” might be flawed with cognitive biases and cultural filters. If you wish to go beyond your biases, achieve cognitive and situational flexibility in your work, this book will definitely offer you the insights and the necessary mind-set maintenance to excel in a world craving for authenticity and connection.”

Mithun Mridha – PPM Practice Manager and Enterprise Architect, Altran

 

“Every Leader & want to be Leader will find this book an essential read to develop their skill set and self awareness. The author has pulled diverse threads together with an ease of understanding & interesting reading allowing us to realise the impact we have on our results and others across cultural differences.”

Julie Hogbin – Author & Conscious Leadership & Skillful Speech Strategist, CLAVEM.global

 

“I have had the unique privilege of knowing and discussing Csaba’s thinking on Leadership fit for the 21st Century over the past 3 years. This book is a combination of his work so far and further explains the genius behind his thinking on organisational thinking and leadership. As we launch into the New Decade I would recommend that Every CEO , Entrepreneur and Business Owner Reads this book not once but several times. This book should be a must read for everyone Leadership and Executive Coach on the planet. Its thought provoking and insightful on every single page.”

Jim Jordan – Business Mentor and Executive Coach, www.jimjordanconsultancy.com

 

“Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times is an amazing and complete trip through the state of the art in management. We are in the 21st century, and we have just started a new decade. Management theories and skills are passing by an important evolution: how important is the diversity, inclusion, the correct use of mindsets, bias, the development of intercultural and interpersonal skills is finally been discussed and applied. However, all these concepts are still being considered isolated, incompletely, or superficially. But not in Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times. In this book we can better understand each one of these concepts, deeply, and to see how they are connected. As result, we really feel ourselves with consistent tools to deal with management, from the knowledge and management of our own lives, until the management in huge and complex organizations worldwide.”

Renata Bohomoletz – Intercultural Strategic Management

 

“The world is complicated and we need a plan and a map to make sense of it.  In a world that is both growing and shrinking, getting more diverse yet more polarised, more global yet more inward facing, Csaba’s book is both the map and the plan we have been waiting for. Our innate ‘common sense’ – learnt from our own experiences – simply does not equip us to cope with the unexpected, but this ‘guidebook’ and quest does.  By showing us not just what gaps we might fall into, but why, he helps us to understand better why those gaps have dogged us in the past and how we can learn how to navigate and even avoid them using ‘un-common sense’.  It is a life-skill we all need to acquire and this book is a great place to start.”

Patti McCarthy – author Cultural Chemistry: Simple Strategies for Bridging Cultural Gaps

 

“Brace yourself for Csaba Toth’s book on Uncommon Sense! Like the title suggests, he will challenge many of your basic assumptions on how people think, bond, fail and succeed. The journey proposed here is fast and eventful, and completing it requires an open mind. But those who read this volume, whether they agree or disagree with its contents, will see human personality, communities and cultures in a different light.”

Gábor Holch – Shanghai-based intercultural management consultant, author and speaker

 

“The problem with traditional cross-cultural studies is that it ignores individual behaviours and the problem with individual behavioural profiling is that it ignores cultures. Csaba has been able to combine these two areas of study to create new models that are desperately needed for 21st century global leadership. Uncommon Sense should be on any global executive’s reading list.”

Kyle D. Hegarty – author of The Accidental Business Nomad: A Survival Guide for Working Across a Shrinking Planet

 

“A highly detailed, resource-rich book for intelligent global leaders and coaches to leverage the cognitive diversity and uncommon sense of their teams for success in the complex business world of today and tomorrow.”

David Clive Price – Global Leadership & High Performance Coach, Author of Bamboo Strong

 

As a training and coaching company in Central-Eastern Europe we’ve faced several business challenges with our clients from very different countries in the last 25 years. One of the key topics is positive mentality. We truly believe that high quality connections and high performing teams are the key in a VUCA world. Csaba’s work and the Global DISC model is a fundamental, complex and inspiring help for our trainings, workshops and coaching sessions.

Szalay Zsuzsanna – CEO of Profil Training, www.profiltraining.hu

 

“Up to date, relevant and fluid, Csaba’s book about Uncommon Sense is a fantastic piece to read for anybody looking into improving their interpersonal skills. With the right balance of theory, science and practical experience, you will not only grow while reading, you will also understand how – and why – you could impact and make the best out of your interactions in life. As a cross cultural leader for a global organisation in the field of HR, not only am I confronted to this major challenge on a daily basis, I am the witness of global team leaders countless headache to addressing such complex field of management… From the moment I started to leverage my cross cultural intelligence skills (ICQ), thanks to the Global DISC, I got aware and confident in my abilities to embrace change in myself, and without even forcing it, in others. Be an ICQpreneur, be different, be you!”
Stéphane Jaime Orts – International Business Manager @Catenon & Founder @Haute Culture

 

“This is not only a book for business owners at every level, but humans in general. The concepts of diversity and culture do not exist solely in a corporate vacuum, we are culture, we are diversity. Csaba cuts right to chase in identifying our flawed understanding of these topics and equips you with research and science-backed clarity while also providing a clear process and system for shifting our mindset and taking the action needed to facilitate the progress and synergy we all desire.”
Tanya MFK – Business Strategy Consultant & Host of My Designed Life Show

 

“In times such as this, adaptability is called for, less you wanted to extinct. This book forces us to have a deeper introspection on who we are. It gives us deeper insights in understanding how our relationships with others and the environment around us impact our mindset as individuals and those whom we are connected with as a whole.
Csaba’s honest and raw revelation of his own experiences and studies made me rethink of my own perspective about culture. In fact, he has inspired me to modify my approach in teaching. I’ve integrated his research and concepts from this book and utilized Global DISC assessment and Quest in my class. Let me share two of my students’ feedback after the integration:
“…The (cultural) class was an academic bridge between the (Global DISC) test/Quest and our true selves.” – French student
“ I wish we have had this class during middle school or even high school. I feel like I have missed out on many opportunities only because I was not aware of the influence culture has on people… and the reason I act in a certain way in certain situations. This class, followed by the Quest, made me dig deeper… Seeing them (others) being proud of some characteristics and struggling with the rest makes sense…” – Iranian student
Thank you Csaba for this practical and enriching book! It’s a must read for every Cultural Trainers and Teachers!”
Cecilia Mag-isa Estoque – Filipino Professor in one of China’s State University

 

“In a world of global dynamics and urgently needed insightful leadership at all levels, Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times is an essential read, highlighting the dynamic interconnection between personality and culture. Csaba Toth compellingly makes the point that cultural intelligence is about more than country specific differences and introduces the practical GLOBAL DISC model as a valuable tool for everyone to act with wisdom, personally and professionally.”
Birgit Trauer – author of The Way of the Peaceful Traveller

 

”An extraordinarily valuable book for those who are interested in efficiency and effectiveness in the new era of leveraging relationships! As many of us want to get things done these days, and this requires an understanding of what makes us more or less make sense as we engage with our world and the critical people in it, this book should be considered a prime resource!
This book is a remarkable collection of proven developmental strategies and prospectives. Clear and fascinating, it is a must-read for those who aim to sharpen their interpersonal effectiveness.
I was stunned by ICQ and its ability to hit so many aspects of current cultural challenges and opportunities. ICQ delivers instant validation and inspired interpretations of many global and international relationship challenges.”
Sameeh Gadallah – Intercultural business Coach/Consultant to help leaders connecting dots in the Middle East and Gulf region.

Csaba Toth
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Csaba Toth

Founder at ICQ Global
Author of Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times, developer of the multi award-winning Global DISC model
Csaba Toth
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