"Shapiro's goal is both noble and formidable - to enhance the development of active citizens in order to shape institutions in the direction of shared goals and participation and away from chaos and authoritarianism. [...] The basic tone and voice of the book is reflective of the author's acknowledged and firm psychoanalytic grounding. This is a book that is designed to promote insight (not unlike psychoanalysis). This is not a how-to book. It does a masterful job in presenting rich material in a way that promotes understanding of, and relationships among, seeming disconnected elements. It connects the dots. It provides guidance on what can and needs to be done. [...] There remains much to be learned from his perspective, conceptualization of issues, as well as his vast and diverse experience." Brian W. Flynn, Psychiatry, Feb 2024 "It is a far-reaching book in terms of the expressed desire to help bring about greater participatory democracy. It is a helpful book through its illustration of how to do this at many levels-in the family, in organisations, and in society. In many places it redefines how we think about issues such as mental health, maturity, leadership, and citizenship. [...] I am grateful for the accessibility of the writing and the storytelling that brings it alive. I am grateful for the clear enunciation of ideas [...] This is an important read. It brings forward the ways in which self-reflective practice, in taking up a place for one's voice, listening to others, and finding important commonalities can lead to a true democracy." Susan Long, 'Organisational & Social Dynamics' 22(2) (2022) "This is a brilliantly realized treatment of what it means to be a citizen, and how we find our way there through the deeply personal psychological voyage we all must sail. "Finding a Place to Stand" uses cutting-edge behavioral science, clear and cogent story-telling, and a deep understanding of the human condition to create a book that should be on every citizen's nightstand." Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret); Supreme Allied Commander at NATO (2009-2013); Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2013-2018) "The book's sections flow cohesively from one to the next, so the logical progression of the argument becomes clear. The author explores the complex psychological dynamics of individuals, families, groups, and organisations in lucid writing free of medical and scientific jargon. Throughout, Shapiro cites pertinent examples and includes anecdotes, each of which aptly illustrates a key point. These stories, whether they are about individuals in families, patients in hospitals, or employees in companies, all serve to enrich the theories presented here. The author's observations also further understanding of the less-than-logical ways humans process their situations, something that seems intuitive only once it's explained. [...] An observant, discerning work on understanding and improving organisations." Kirkus Reviews, December, 2022 "Finding a Place to Stand is a psycho-socio-political tour de force - carefully, steadily, and powerfully building the case for conscious integration of our multiple human identities so that we can learn to coexist and participate as citizens in an increasingly complex and disruptive world. Dr. Shapiro draws deeply and effectively on his experiences, both as a psychiatrist and as a manager-leader, to set the stage for his exploration of the divisions in our society and his search for citizens who can bridge the divides." John Shattuck, Professor of Practice in Diplomacy, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (1993-1998); U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic (1998-2000) "An in-depth examination of the 'psychology of citizenship'. Shapiro addresses a subject that has vast implications for individuals and organizational leaders He methodically analyzes human connections in the broadest sense of the word [and] explores the complex psychological dynamics of individuals, families, groups, and organizations in lucid writing free of medical and scientific jargon. Throughout, Shapiro cites pertinent examples and includes anecdotes, each of which aptly illustrates a key point. These stories, whether they are about individuals in families, patients in hospitals, or employees in companies, all serve to enrich the theories presented. An observant, discerning work on understanding and improving organizations." Kirkus Reviews "Taking off from the now familiar idea of studying "the individual in context," Dr. Shapiro brilliantly extends this concept from the parent-child matrix, to the couple, the developing family, the group - a social or work entity - and onto the larger collectives of institutions and political cultures. The trajectory of this book also covers the four decades of Shapiro's work experiences: in individual treatment, in hospital administration, in group dynamics, and in the study of group relations. It is an amazing ride. He is educating us so carefully in the ways that unconscious forces, splitting, and conflict, at every level of social organization, impede and shape our individual and social capacities. Read this book as an individual, as a practitioner, but, above all, as a citizen. A fascinating, containing guide in turbulent times." Adrienne Harris, Psychoanalyst, New York University, NYU Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis "This is a book about close listening to and learning from experience, within and across the social frames in which we live, grow, work, and relate. At one level, it tells the story of one individual's own journey of discovery, as a psychiatrist keenly attuned to the social contexts in which he practices and leads. At another, it is a powerful exploration of the conscious and unconscious processes involved in finding and enabling others to find one's own voice, as an 'internal citizen', in a family, a group, an organization, and a nation. Hugely ambitious, wonderfully accessible, its publication could scarcely be more timely" David Armstrong, Associate Consultant, Tavistock Consulting, London
★ 2022-10-24
An in-depth examination of “the psychology of citizenship.”
Using his dual perspectives as a psychiatrist and an organizational consultant, Shapiro addresses a subject that has vast implications for individuals and organizational leaders. He methodically analyzes human connections in the broadest sense of the word, beginning with the family, progressing to the group, and culminating in organizations. Part I is a crash course in organizational dynamics. It begins with three engaging stories that uniquely demonstrate how a single individual’s actions can significantly impact a group. Shapiro accurately observes, “The more we become aware that our experience of ourselves is affected by others…the less sure we seem to be about where our individual experience begins and ends.” In Part II, Shapiro shows the ways leaders help shape institutions. He relies heavily on his experience as CEO and medical director of the Austen Riggs Center, a psychiatric hospital and residential treatment center, to both offer an understanding of the CEO psyche and outline the complexity of the leader’s role. At Riggs, Shapiro discovered “central aspects of collaborative citizenship.” Part III is expansive; it moves from a consideration of the ways institutions respond to society’s needs to individuals’ identities within nations, specifically the United States. Shapiro wrestles with some uncomfortable truths in this section and offers insightful observations: “In assuming its own mature responsibilities for contributing to the marginalization of subgroups both within and without, this country might offer a realistic hope for transcending differences in the service of a larger integrative mission.” At the close of Part III, Shapiro ponders what it means to be a global citizen.The book’s sections flow cohesively from one to the next, so the logical progression of the argument becomes clear. The author explores the complex psychological dynamics of individuals, families, groups, and organizations in lucid writing free of medical and scientific jargon. Throughout, Shapiro cites pertinent examples and includes anecdotes, each of which aptly illustrates a key point. These stories, whether they are about individuals in families, patients in hospitals, or employees in companies, all serve to enrich the theories presented here. The author’s observations also further understanding of the less-than-logical ways humans process their situations, something that seems intuitive only once it’s explained. For example, about workers, he notes, “The fantasies and beliefs that individuals carry about the nature of their workplace has at least as much of an impact on organizational behavior as the workplace itself.” About leaders, he writes, they “must be transparent about their motivations and the effects of their own irrationality.” Shapiro projects his own humility, too; describing an experience as an “Institute Leader,” he steps outside the story and inserts his own reflections, questioning his role and observing his behavior at the time. This adds an element of psychological self-analysis that makes the narrative even more interesting. His hypothesis at the end of the book—“It is perhaps possible to conceive of humanity as a multicellular learning system, with each of us as a working cell”—is worth remembering.
An observant, discerning work on understanding and improving organizations.
