New business book from Edinburgh author aims to help tackle imposter syndrome

An Edinburgh author and business coach has launched his fourth book, titled How To Eliminate Negative Thinking, that aims to help readers tackle problems such as imposter syndrome.

Derek Borthwick says the self-help book “digs deep into the workings of the brain and mind”, tapping into relevant scientific findings to provide advice on how to remove mental obstacles including imposter syndrome, which is estimated to affect up to 35 per cent of high-achievers. "This is relevant for everyone in a management, leadership, sales and business-owner role,” he said.

Mr Borthwick, who has more than three decades’ experience in sales, marketing and distribution, and has trained staff at the likes of Jupiter Asset Management and Maples Group, as well as lecturing at various universities including Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt, Napier and Stirling on his training methods.

He adds that he has diplomas in business coaching, clinical hypnotherapy, and neurolinguistic programming, and is the founder of Power2Mind, which focuses on training people on business communications and selling, while he also teaches presenting techniques and management skills.

The book follows on from his previous works How to Talk to Anybody, which he says has sold more than 3,000 copies around the world since launching in March 2022, Inside the Mind of Sales that launched in September 2020, and Body Language: How To Read Any Body that debuted in November 2021.

The latest book is billed as intending to help “transform people’s understanding of how we are wired together with some very powerful methods to overcome it” – and give them “more control over their thoughts and their mental state to enable them to close more deals, understand themselves and others better, and have improved coaching skills, resulting in a more productive and professional career”.

Mr Borthwick said: “My first book focused on how the mind works in sales combined with my 30 years of experience of working for some of the world’s largest companies. My second book uncovered how the brain works in relation to body language. My third builds on the understanding of the brain and explores the world of verbal communication.

The book promises to 'dig deep into the workings of the brain and mind'. Picture: contributed.

Compelled

“My clients were asking, ‘how can we eliminate negative thoughts and gain more control over our thinking so that we are more effective in business’ and I felt compelled to write about it. Most of us pay attention to our lying neocortex and logical brain, but that is not what is powering the bus. We must address the unconscious mind.

“All information that we receive via our senses is distorted deleted and generalised. This gives us our map, but it does not mean that it is true. We created this map and therefore we can change it.

“Using an understanding of how the mind works and how we are wired allows for us to change our thinking and, with it, our perception of the world and those about us.

'I’m looking forward to helping more people in business to understand how the conscious and unconscious mind works when they are having negative thoughts,' says Mr Borthwick. Picture: contributed.

“This will massively transform not only our perception of our self but of others around us. This leads to increased profitability, sales and harmony in business, both with colleagues and customers. The feedback already has been really positive and I’m looking forward to helping more people.”