Above the Line: Living and Leading with Heart — Proven Strategies to Understand Behavior and Unlock Your Best Self

A leadership consultant and neuropsychologist identify the universal habits of the heart and mind—the keys to unlocking our true potential, creating our best selves and eliminating behavior patterns that hold us back. 

Why is it so hard for leaders to coach employees who are struggling? Why do we repeat the same mistakes and negative behaviors?

Common wisdom says you always have a choice in how you react or respond. But, as corporate consultant Stephen Klemich and clinical psychologist Mara Klemich contend, until you recognize why you make choices, and how the heart and the brain work together to shape your behavior, you can’t change long-ingrained patterns and discover your best self.

The Klemichs have developed a model backed by extensive research and data, and paired it with character-led personal development, to help you answer the "Why?" and eliminate behavior that is “below the line.”

In Above the Line, they argue that that the quality of your life flows from the attitudes of your heart. Offering wise, compassionate, and practical advice, this book explores the deep, fundamental drivers of human behavior that exist within your heart—the seat of your character. It reveals that all of these behaviors can be explained by four principles—humility, love, pride, and fear—which influence every facet of your life, for better or for worse.

We are all designed for greatness, but so often our best self is pitted against our worst. The pressures of life are pulling our character below the line while our authentic self is drawing us to live above the line. When you fully understand that the four principles are at the root of your behavior, you can begin the journey to become your best self and navigate life more effectively and successfully. Filled with proven strategies, Above the Line will create lasting changes in your behavior and improve your life personally and professionally—so you can make a positive impact on the world around you.

Stephen Klemich is a longtime leadership consultant, speaker, and CEO and founder of Heartstyles. His multinational clients have included KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Unilever, American Express, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mara Klemich, PhD, is a consulting psychologist, with degrees in clinical psychology and neuropsychology from the University of Sydney and the University of Paris, and she is co-founder of Heartstyles. She spent more than fifteen years as a clinical neuropsychologist and practiced as a forensic neuropsychologist in Australia’s criminal system.

Together the Klemichs have dedicated their lives to helping others discover insight for transformation. They are Aussies living in London.