Good Awkward - by Henna Pryor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Kirkus Reviews' Top 100 Indie Books of 2023

Awkwardness isn't a weakness to fix - it's your greatest asset for professional and personal growth.

In a time of blurred realities and filtered faces, embracing your awkwardness may seem counterintuitive. As 2x TEDx Speaker and Executive Coach Henna Pryor shows, relishing your "Good Awkward" is essential to becoming more bold, boosting your confidence, and taking the necessary professional risks at work that help you be braver and meet your true potential.

In this book, Pryor taps her signature playful and lighthearted writing style to share stories, science-based tools, and simple action steps to guide you to:

• Pinpoint the exact reason it's been difficult to take risks - and how to move past it
• Learn how to use the concepts of deliberate discomfort and strategic micro stressors to strengthen mental muscle
• Create your own personalized plan to be braver in the moments when it counts

If your biggest goals have felt elusive or you're eager to find a fresh edge in the crowded marketplace, Good Awkward can teach you how to create a new outlook on moments that once caused embarrassment or cringe and use them as a force for good, so you can become the bravest you.

"A well-researched and well-designed call to embrace awkwardness." --Kirkus Review (starred review)

Winner of 18 Book Awards!
2024 BUSINESS BOOK AWARDS SHORTLIST
2024 ERIC HOFFER BOOK AWARD GRAND PRIZE SHORT LIST
2024 LIVING NOW BOOK AWARD SILVER MEDAL WINNER

Review Quotes

"I feel seen! In Good Awkward, Pryor puts her finger on something most of us are afraid to admit--we don't always know the right thing to say, our attempts at small talk fall flat, we get shot down when we venture into new territory. I found myself nodding along to the many relatable examples of how we stifle ourselves because we are afraid of being anything but the polished professionals we want the world to see. But Pryor explores how embracing our inner awkwardness can actually help us perform better at work--and in life. When we free ourselves from the fear of looking less than perfect, we realize that our awkwardness can be a superpower. Highly recommended!" --KAREN DILLON, Former Editor of Harvard Business Review and New York Times bestselling coauthor of How Will You Measure Your Life?

"Smart, witty, and full of fresh insights--Henna takes us on a ride of rediscovering an emotion that we all feel, but rarely give the attention it deserves. Great leaders in the modern era need to embrace their awkward to build communities and make meaningful contributions. Thankfully, Good Awkward is here to show us how to do it." --LINDSAY KAPLAN, Cofounder and Chief Brand Officer, Chief

"Good Awkward is a revolutionary and game-changing book. If you get stuck because you worry about saying the wrong thing or the thought of sitting through an awkward silence is unbearable, this book (and Henna Pryor) will change your life." --MICHAEL PORT, NYT and WSJ bestselling author of Steal the Show

"If mental blocks around awkwardness have kept you from taking the next right step in your career and life, you need to read Good Awkward. Henna Pryor combines insightful research and a playful writing style to bring a fresh perspective to taking the professional risks we all need to take to succeed--in work and in life." --RUSSELL WILSON, American NFL Quarterback, Denver Broncos

"Henna Pryor manages to hit all the high notes--smart AND relatable, authoritative AND self-deprecating, vulnerable AND expert. When a book on 'success' is both thought-provoking AND laugh-out-loud funny, well, that's pretty special. And bonus points for the vivid visual descriptions of her own awkward experiences. Given all but a rare few of us secretly harbor some feelings of awkwardness, my wish is that everyone read this gem of a book--and then relax a little bit, worrying less about how others see us and more about showing up as our awkward, real selves." --KAREN WRIGHT, Master Coach and CEO of Parachute Executive Coaching

"Whip-smart. Funny. Insightful. Inspirational. If awkwardness has held you back and you'd rather use it as an advantage at work and in life, READ THIS BOOK!" --JOANNA LOHMAN, Former US Women's National Soccer Team Player and Mental Performance Coach

"Success requires courage. But how do you overcome the awkwardness that often comes with taking risks, facing challenges, and stepping out of your comfort zone? In her brilliant book, Henna Pryor offers a practical and playful guide to becoming the bravest you. Timely and refreshing, Good Awkward helps you turn your kryptonite into a superpower!" --SANYIN SIANG, Duke University Professor and CEO Coach and Advisor

"Being human inevitably means being awkward. Thankfully, Henna Pryor has given us a highly entertaining and substantive guide to why that's important, both personally and professionally. You'll learn how to turn even the worst awkward moments into the best parts of what makes you who you are." --TAMSEN WEBSTER, Author and Message Designer

"Good Awkward reassures us that awkwardness is normal and provides a path through the cringe to the connections, contributions, and conquests that lie on the other side." --LIANE DAVEY, Organizational Psychologist and author of The Good Fight

"Humorous, insightful, and practical! Henna gives us permission, as well as an instructional guide, to change mindsets and create better interactions." --FOTINI ICONOMOPOULOS, Speaker and author of Say Less, Get More

About the Author

Henna Pryor, CSP is a dynamic Workplace Performance Expert who speaks and writes about performance mindset, interpersonal dynamics, high-impact communication, and embracing bumps in a world that keeps optimizing for smoothness. She is a regular Expert Columnist for Inc. Magazine, 18x award-winning author of Good Awkward, and an in-demand global keynote speaker. Her playful personality and insightful talks blend 2 decades of working with corporate leaders and teams with a fresh, science-based approach to taking more strategic risks and boosting social and mental fitness for success at work. Her clients call her their "secret weapon for impossible change" -- a title she wears proudly. In addition to speaking for TEDx, SXSW, and being frequently tapped by media outlets like Business.com, FastCompany, INSIDER, HuffPost, NBC, FOX, and more, she's a SUCCESS Magazine Woman of Influence, LinkedIn Learning Instructor, and Glassdoor WorkLife Pro.

She graduated with her BS from University of Delaware, MS from University of Virginia, and received her Executive Coaching Certification from American University. She grew up in Newark, Delaware and currently lives with her husband, two kids, and puppy in Chester County, PA.