In Good to Great, Jim Collins presents his study of commonalities among 11 high-performing organizations. His most encouraging finding is that chief executive officers of successful companies often are quietly dynamic people who combine humility with unwavering resolve. Slash-and-burn management doesn't necessarily correlate with high performance. Authors Doc Childre and Howard Martin reveal what happens to the heart when it's under stress compared to a state of appreciation. I plan to use their approach for centering the next time I teach presentation skills or mediate a conflict.