Book Launch: Intention

Intention: The Surprising Psychology of High Performers

By Mike James Ross, Sekoul Theodor Krastev, and Dan Pilat

“We’re stuck. Stuck to the couch. Stuck scrolling. Stuck at work. Stuck in worn-out paths of habitual action. Stuck in patterns and echo chambers of thought. Stuck in carefully curated lives where we’ve traded our agency for endless comforts that wrap us in existential ennui.

As our eyes fixate on a constant parade of images meant to engage us, we notice something in the periphery. We see folks who are just like us, except they are actually, deeply happy and fulfilled. They seem to go through life with ease and grace, overcoming obstacles and making amazing things happen for themselves.

Peering closer, we see that these aren’t gods or superhumans. They’re just people who have chosen to not be stuck and decided to become the main characters in their own lives. Their success (as they define it!) is not a birthright bestowed upon a lucky few, but the result of lives lived with intention. And that’s what this book is about ― a practical guide on infusing purpose into life in a deliberate and evidence-based way.

Through a combination of inspiring stories about unlikely high performers and evidence from the bleeding edge of behavioral science, we present you with a toolkit for learning intention ― not as a fluffy concept, but as five very trainable skills.”

The Guest Author

Mike is the Chief Human Resources Officer at La Maison Simons, a leading retailer with 16 (soon to be 17!) large format stores across Canada. Prior to joining Simons, he founded and ran Juniper, a consulting firm that helped organizations worldwide at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and culture. Mike also founded, built, and successfully sold an edtech startup called Vocaprep, which helped people prepare for job interviews.

Mike has worked at a private equity fund, at McKinsey & Company, and as the head of a peace negotiations project in the Middle East. In past lives Mike also worked at eBay and as a finance lawyer in London, New York, Boston, Tokyo and Mexico City.

Mike holds a BA from Concordia University, a JD and an MA from the University of Toronto and an MBA from McGill, where he graduated first in his class and won the Scarlet Key Award for community service and leadership. Yes, he’s 150 years old.

Thank you to the independent library La Maison Anglaise for their support!