Dr. Michelle K. Johnston chatted about her new book “The Seismic Shift in You,” and being a part of the digital age.
Idea for the book
On the concept for the book, she remarked, “The idea for ‘The Seismic Shift in You’ originated when Marshall Goldsmith and I were in London for the Thinkers 50 awards in November of 2023.”
“After listening to all the top management thinkers address the realities of AI, we realized we needed to write a play book for how to lean in with heart and humanity in order to live a healthier and happier life. Because the road we are heading down is dark without connection,” she elaborated.
Favorite part of the writing process
Regarding her favorite part of the writing process, she shared, “My favorite part of the writing process was interviewing top leaders for each of my book chapters on shifting perspective, priorities, calendar, meetings, conversations, language, and energy. I got to learn from their their stories, examples, and best practices.”
Lessons learned from this book
On the lessons learned from this book, she reflected, “This book taught me that you have to be super intentional with connection.”
“In order to stay connected with the most important people in your life, both personally and professionally, you have to embed them into your calendar,” she said.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, she said, “Because of digital media, I was quite intentional with how I wrote ‘The Seismic Shift in You.’ For example, our attention spans are shorter, so I made sure you can read my book in one evening.”
“I also created big, bold stats and quotes to grab the reader’s attention. I wanted to personally connect with the reader, so I wrote like we were together in a room having a discussion,” she elaborated.
‘Then for the people who weren’t fans of reading physical books, I recorded the audio book in my own voice with my own energy and inflection like I was having a conversation with them,” she added.
Utilizing technology in her daily routine
On her use of technology in her daily routine, she remarked, “I find myself doing 90 percent of my work on my phone.”
“Every morning, I wake up and review my to-do list and calendar. I record audio messages to send to friends. I practice upcoming media interviews by using voice memos,” she elaborated.
“I capture creative ideas and quotes in my notes section, and I use AI-ChatGPT for research,” she added.
Advice for young and aspiring authors
For young and emerging authors, she said, “My advice for young and emerging authors is this: you don’t have to sit alone in a room day after day in front of a computer to be an author.”
“I don’t work well like that, so I hired a person to have weekly conversations with me. I spoke out loud and shared my ideas and stories. And she put my thoughts into action and down on paper,” she elaborated.
“I’m an extrovert and that method worked best for me. So don’t think that you have to sit by yourself in a room every day to write a book, because you don’t,” she added.
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, she said, “Success to me, professionally, is about making a positive impact in the world of leadership through my books, podcast, and classes I teach at Loyola.”
“Personally, success is making sure that I’m present and loving and kind for the most important people in my life,” she added.
Closing thoughts on her new book
For readers, she remarked about her new book, “The one thing I want readers to get out of my book is this: productivity without connection equals emptiness.”
She continued, “I don’t want anybody to feel empty at the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of the month, at the end of the year, at the end of of their life.”
“So ‘The Seismic Shift in You’ provides a road map for how to lean in with connection to get better results,” she noted.
“You need to prioritize connection to live a happier and healthier life. And speaking of priorities, the number one priority is YOU. You can’t be a great connector with others unless you’ve connected with yourself first,” she concluded.
Her book “The Seismic Shift in You: The Seven Necessary Shifts to Create Connection and Drive Results” is available on Amazon by clicking here.
To learn more about bestselling author Dr. Michelle Johnston, visit her official website, and follow her on Instagram.
