“Gravitas” by Lisa Sun (2023) is a personal development book focused on providing a common language for eight different strengths that comprise confidence. Lisa shares her experiences in Retail, Corporate America and her childhood to form a narrative encouraging every woman to succeed in their own way. I was drawn to select her title when I was perusing Audible one day. I checked out a couple of her interviews on YouTube, and I was sold.
Overview: Sun wants us to understand that the way we speak about ourselves helps or hinders our path. She structures the book by reviewing each of the eight confidence strengths – how they manifest and how they can best be used. Other insights she shares is how to best work with others who have those strengths. The eight superpowers are Leading, Performing, Achieving, Giving, Knowing, Creating, Believing, and Self-Sustaining.
Supplemental Information:
Where it Falls Short: It reminded me of a Gallup’s Strengthsfinder. It in some ways a direct competition but with eight strengths, instead of 34. Strengthsfinder is gender agnostic and also has team dimensions, which comes in handy for organizational work.
Overall Assessment & Why: I rate it a 6 out of 10 in terms of a personal development book. I don’t recommend the book on Audible. It may have been better on Kindle or paperback. While I love the term “Gravitas,” and will use it moving forward, it couldn’t keep my attention. Perhaps if she had hired a different narrator, it would have been better. I love how she speaks in her interviews, so I was surprised with my overall sentiment.