On April 17, 2025, PMI OC Book Club featured the book “The Mensch Method” by Todd Zive. The book offers a powerful, values-driven framework for achieving lasting success in both personal and professional life. Rooted in the Yiddish term “mensch”—a person of integrity, honor, and decency—the book emphasizes that true success stems from who you are, not just what you accomplish. A mensch leads with character, consistently doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
The method promotes servant leadership, where leadership is not about power or authority, but about uplifting others and creating a ripple effect of positive impact. The best leaders empower their teams by modeling humility, accountability, and ethical decision-making. Zive contrasts this with self-serving leadership styles, emphasizing that lifting others is key to rising together.
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence form the bedrock of the mensch mindset. Knowing one’s emotions, understanding how they influence others, and staying true to one’s internal compass enables authenticity. This self-knowledge, coupled with a growth mindset, drives personal evolution. Drawing from Carol Dweck’s work, Zive explains that believing in your ability to grow and adapt—rather than remaining fixed—fuels long-term success. Zive highlights the importance of resilience and mindset when facing adversity. Challenges are inevitable, but how we respond defines our character. Resilience isn’t about bouncing back to the past but bouncing forward into opportunity. Through metaphors like the carrot, egg, and coffee bean, Zive illustrates that while some people are weakened or hardened by difficulty, others—like the coffee bean—transform their environment instead of being changed by it.
The book also underscores the significance of relationships. According to research cited by Zive, up to 95% of a person’s success is influenced by the people they surround themselves with. Supportive, positive individuals elevate your energy and confidence, while negative influences can drain your momentum. He introduces the concept of the “super bounce,” where surrounding yourself with uplifting people propels you higher than you could reach alone.
Another pillar of the Mensch Method is consistency and discipline in the “unseen hours”—the effort invested when no one is watching. Zive emphasizes that greatness isn’t created in the spotlight but in the daily grind. Self-discipline, personal standards, and intentional habits (inspired by Atomic Habits by James Clear) shape identity and outcomes over time.
Purpose and service are also key themes. A mensch supports others, fosters trust, and builds community through empathy, collaboration, and standing up for what’s right. In business, this translates into people-first leadership. Zive references thought leaders like Simon Sinek to stress that great leaders manage money to grow people—not the other way around.
Ultimately, The Mensch Method advocates for living a life of meaning, authenticity, and intentional growth. Success, Zive argues, is not about status or wealth, but about becoming your best self and lifting others along the way. In a world driven by competition and quick wins, the mensch stands out by embracing character, compassion, and contribution as the true path to achievement and fulfillment.
Book Club Memebers’ Reviews: “This book has transformed my perspective on leadership, emphasizing the importance of being selfless and making a positive impact on others’ lives. It has also made me reflect on the legacy we leave behind as individuals. I’ve learned to shift my mindset from a ‘have to’ attitude to a ‘get to’ attitude, embracing all the opportunities that life presents.”
“The Mensch Method advocates for living a life of meaning, authenticity, and intentional growth. Success is not about status or wealth, but about becoming your best self and lifting others along the way.”
“The author talks about self-belief. It’s important and I think it’s really hard to be consistent because imposter syndrome can sneak in, especially when you’re trying something new and you’re not good/proficient at it yet because you’re new. It’s easy to say ‘oh, I can’t do that’ or ‘I don’t have the skills to do that’. But if you believe in yourself and keep being that squeaky wheel that keeps on trying and moving forward, you can’t help but grow.”
