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Ancestral Mindset
Adopting an Evolutionary Framework to Lead, Influence, and Collaborate
By John Daniel
Published by Forefront Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Ancestral Mindset by thought leader and human relations expert John Daniel offers deep insight into what motivates us and drives our actions and how we can use that information to better lead, influence, and collaborate at work and home.
If human evolutionary history were compressed into a single calendar year with our earliest ancestor arriving on January 1, our transition from hunter-gatherers wouldn’t occur until the end of December. We were hunter-gatherers for well over 90 percent of our collective history. The key to understanding us is understanding the hunter-gatherer neurocircuitry that crafted our human nature.
In Ancestral Mindset, John Daniel traces the development of the human brain from the birth of our species and applies his insights to teach leadership and teamwork from an evolutionary-neurological perspective.
Why is your fight-or-flight instinct on a hair trigger when the boss calls you in? Why does receiving advice from a colleague induce a threat state? Why does it feel so disproportionately risky to disagree with the team? The answers to those questions lie in our collective past.
As a heart-transplant recipient with decades of executive HR experience, Daniel knows a thing or two about risk, survival, and human behavior from the operating room to the board room. His unique personal story and voracious appetite for research have led to a text as potentially transformative as it is bursting with information.
If you are interested in upping your leadership game, improving your relationships, or just becoming more persuasive, Ancestral Mindset will help you adapt from the brain down. Access your inner hunter-gatherer and transform your take on what motivates, elevates, and convinces. It will make you a better leader, a better employee, and a better Homo sapiens to those around you.
If human evolutionary history were compressed into a single calendar year with our earliest ancestor arriving on January 1, our transition from hunter-gatherers wouldn’t occur until the end of December. We were hunter-gatherers for well over 90 percent of our collective history. The key to understanding us is understanding the hunter-gatherer neurocircuitry that crafted our human nature.
In Ancestral Mindset, John Daniel traces the development of the human brain from the birth of our species and applies his insights to teach leadership and teamwork from an evolutionary-neurological perspective.
Why is your fight-or-flight instinct on a hair trigger when the boss calls you in? Why does receiving advice from a colleague induce a threat state? Why does it feel so disproportionately risky to disagree with the team? The answers to those questions lie in our collective past.
As a heart-transplant recipient with decades of executive HR experience, Daniel knows a thing or two about risk, survival, and human behavior from the operating room to the board room. His unique personal story and voracious appetite for research have led to a text as potentially transformative as it is bursting with information.
If you are interested in upping your leadership game, improving your relationships, or just becoming more persuasive, Ancestral Mindset will help you adapt from the brain down. Access your inner hunter-gatherer and transform your take on what motivates, elevates, and convinces. It will make you a better leader, a better employee, and a better Homo sapiens to those around you.
About The Author
John Daniel is a veteran HR executive with deep experience in leading people and creating a positive company culture. He is a recognized thought leader and speaks at various organizations on culture, leadership, human behavior, and change management.
After forty-seven years in the banking industry, John retired in 2021—his most recent executive role having served as chief human resources officer at First Horizon Bank. He is a recipient of the 2020 James House Williamson Award for his contributions in advancing the HR profession.
In 2022, John was a fellow at Harvard University, studying social impact strategies as part of the Advanced Leadership Initiative. He is a social entrepreneur and owner of Bluff City Pickleball Club in Bartlett, TN—its mission to promote health, well-being, and social engagement.
John is active in his community and serves on the boards of the United Way of the Mid-South, Seeding Success, First 8, The Center for Transforming Communities, and River City Capital.
A heart transplant recipient, John and his wife, Leslie, were honored in 2022 with the Living Heart Award by the American Heart Association for their contributions to the AHA. The annual award is now named in their honor.
Product Details
- Publisher: Forefront Books (January 14, 2025)
- Length: 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9781637633595
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Raves and Reviews
“Understanding others is the name of the game in today’s world, business and personal. John Daniel synthesizes decades of research in psychology and behavioral neuroscience into easy-to-understand terms that gives us the knowledge to become better professionals, leaders, and people. His stories from his personal and professional lives bring the content to life and provide examples on how to apply our newly found understanding and insights to our everyday situations.”
—Bill Burch, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, PCC, Executive Coach, Former HR Leader and President of Harmony Coaching and Consulting
“With Ancestral Mindset, John Daniel provides a concise framework for understanding how leaders and those they lead process everyday interactions and events. With his thirty-plus years of experience in HR, he translates his framework into understandable and actionable steps to improve individual and organizational performance. I consider this a must-read for any new or emerging leader.”
—Bryan Jordan, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of First Horizon Bank
“Anyone who has served in a leadership role knows that while strategy, financial management, and other traditional disciplines are important, understanding and managing people effectively is what truly makes the difference. John Daniel’s insightful, important, and must-read new book will help current and aspiring leaders understand human behavior at a deep level by explaining the evolutionary and neurological underpinnings of what makes us all tick. John’s own extensive leadership experience allows him to add practical advice and firsthand examples to drive home his lessons.”
—Bill Burke, former CEO of The Weather Channel Companies and Founder of The Optimism Institute
“Ancestral Mindset is a fascinating compilation of John Daniel’s decades-long study of human behavior and leadership development. Packed with research on brain evolution, behavioral neuroscience, psychology, and leadership theory, Daniel delivers an engaging, insightful, and applicable guide for leaders who want to better understand and lead their teams. His valuable, time-tested insights woven together with heartfelt stories and case studies make this a valuable resource for leaders.”
—Cindy Cleveland, Chief Talent Officer, Diversified Trust
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