Thrive: The Leader's Guide to Building a High-Performance Culture

I highly recommend this book if you are a leader who is not only passionate about learning, growing, and pursuing your best self - and is looking to accelerate the performance of your organization and improve employee engagement. Thrive is hands down the most practical and comprehensive guide I have come across for business leaders. Andrew and Paul offer leaders the secret sauce on how to shift the performance curve (to have more higher performing employees) and change the trajectory of their organization. This is a book you will want to read through, and then continue to refer back to as your blueprint. You will learn fundamental skills, strategies, and insights that will help you produce lasting and meaningful change and transform the workplace. Grab a copy today if you want to make a ripple of impact - you will thrive, your people will thrive, and your organization will thrive. I can't think of any time better than now to THRIVE.

“Thrive: The Leader’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Culture” by Andrew Freedman with Paul Elliott is a must-read book for leaders who are ready to transform their organizations for the better. The book is well structured, broken down into a process that is easy to follow. I found the writing detailed but accessible and pleasantly free of business-school jargon. Instead, the authors explain the process (which is backed by research), provide compelling examples and case studies, and then provide leaders with the tools to go and implement these kinds of changes and improvements within their organizations. It makes for a winning, and highly readable, formula. I particularly appreciate the rigor and research behind the high-performance framework presented in the book. This is a process and that is backed by organizational psychology and the study of human behavior and performance, and tested out over decades within organizations. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of the Accelerators – tools and resources you can download directly to begin doing the thoughtful analysis and planning required to institute lasting organizational change. If you look at your organization and can see the barriers—or maybe more importantly if you can’t see them but know that they are there—you owe it to yourself to check out Thrive.

If you are looking for the right approach to building a high performing organization - this is definitely it. This book is my kind of read - it gets to the point. Honestly, I've read a lot of performance improvement books over the years, and a lot of them are simply curated business cases unrelated to one another, motivational management mantras, or other fluffy stuff. Often interesting, but rarely helpful. What I like about this book is that the authors lay out a logical system for improving performance by exposing and nurturing the attributes of star performers. It isn't cheerleading - it is telling you precisely how to get results. I guarantee you will find yourself nodding in agreement throughout the book, because it just makes so much sense. I think anyone in a management role of any kind could use the approach laid out here to make their people better at what they do. Read it, and then read it again. You're welcome.

This book, Thrive, immediately inspired me and my managers to create a better environment for our teams to not only succeed but THRIVE. I powered through the book and will read it again to reenforce the pertinent information. Andrew's passion for helping companies like mine is evident in the depth and thoroughness within the book. This is not only a book for businessmen and women. Everyone will take away something that can be used in daily life/family life as well. This is not your run of the mill read. Take the time to read it, absorb it, and then get ready to implement. Thank you to Andrew for this gift.

“Thrive: The Leader’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Culture” by Andrew Freedman with Paul Elliott is a fabulous resource for helping leaders raise the bar on performance. Clearly written, well researched, and based on years of experience, Freedman and Elliott offer guidance that many organizations desperately need.

This book is pure GOLD for any executive looking to improve their leadership and create a high-performing/winning culture. Not many leadership books give you the opportunity to walk away with actual tools and templates that you can use immediately. This book has made me better and I encourage ANYONE looking to level-up their leadership in 2021 to read and take action – lets go!

A well-written and well-planned book. It is packed with great research as well as cases that make it an easy read. The information is timely especially as organizations are working to keep momentum going and employees happy during all the workplace/day changes. I have recommended it to many people and should be an addition to leadership and business programs.

THRIVE is a very practical and actionable book that will definitely help leaders improve their organizations. The Exemplary Performance System is particularly useful for overcoming most organizational challenges. I also love the idea of the Role Excellence Profile as a catalyst for change, as well as the notion that leaders must start with a clear definition of success and then reverse-engineer their organizations to enable that.

This is a must read for any senior executive searching for a way to help their organization gain a competitive advantage, level up their leadership game, to drive predictable results from employees to deliver value to their organization and customers. As an executive leadership coach and high-performance consultant, I'm constantly searching for books, tools, and resources to help my clients think differently about how to get better results for their team and their organization. THRIVE is one of the most approachable, practical, yet comprehensive book to help senior executives learn how to create the conditions for their people to consistently deliver more value to their organization and customers. The authors outline the science-backed proven methodologies leaders can use to rethink how they're using (or underutilizing) the fundamentals of performance management, reward and recognition, coaching, mentoring, employee development, etc. and when those fundamentals are misaligned or misused in a way that slows or inhibits employees to show up and deliver results. Aside from being practical wisdom, the authors take care to really define and unpack what they mean by high performance, how leaders can more effectively reinforce behaviors that deliver results (and avoid the ones that don't) and how to refine their perspective on "what good looks like" for a particular role or position in the company. A huge bonus of the book is that the authors provide 20+ digital tools to accelerate their application of the methodologies in the book. You can immediately work with templates and resources referenced within THRIVE to start changing how you think about and drive high performance.

First, I want to commend Andrew Freedman who -- with substantial assistance from Paul Elliott -- makes brilliant use of several reader-friendly devices throughout the lively and eloquent narrative. They include "THRIVE Accelerators (e.g. tools, templates, or examples that llluminate and energize key insights and issues)," "THRIVE Reflection" interactive exercises, mini-case studies, and an "In Summary" review of key points in each chapter. As I began to read this book, I was again reminded of Peter Drucker's assertion that "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" and perhaps for lunch also. In Leading Change, James O'Toole suggests that the strongest resistance to change initiatives is cultural in nature, the result of what he so aptly characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." Freedman wrote this book in order to share his thoughts about the dos and don'ts to keep in mind when attempting to establish a high-performance culture. One of the most difficult challenges is to get those involved to think differently about change. Thriving is an admirable goal but surviving tends to be more urgent. Moreover, as Marshall Goldsmith reminds survivors, "what got you here won't get you there." In fact, it won't even let you stay here. In or near the downtown area in most cities, there's a farmer's market at which (at least pre-COVID) a few merchants offer samples of their wares. In that same spirit, I now share several brief excerpts that suggest the thrust and flavor of Freedman's thinking: o "A thriving enterprise requires employees to understand how their contributions, results, and accomplishments link to the organization and its strategic intent." (Page 33) o "Three organizational organizational influences -- Environments, Systems, and Resources; Expectations and Feedback; and Rewards, Recognition, and Consequences -- align to comprise overall corporate culture." (69) o "For an organization and its employees to thrive, there must be alignment of the three individual influences: capacity and job fit, skills and knowledge, and motivation and preferences...They reflect the totality of the individual, and none outweighs the others -- they must all fit together in a harmonic mosaic." (103) o "Creating clarity around what excellent performance looks like and using the new standard as the design point for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, performance management, and career mobility can have a significant impact on your organization's top -- and bottom-line business results." (124) o "Organizational momentum comes in a position to ove your organization to a halt when employees can't see how their role fits in with the strategy -- distance and disconnection create disengagement and, ultimately, diminished performance...[Focus on] measuring what matters most and putting your people in a position to move your organization forward." (146) o "New initiatives will not deliver the intended benefits with a fractional focus or effort. Leaders must set the example of full commitment to an execution and implementation effort that delivers the intended business outcomes." (168) o "Get your head right...In order to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, leaders need to understand the that providing steadfast leadership amidst chaos, clarity and certainty during times of great ambiguity, and fortitude when it would be easier to relent and retreat are defining characteristics that form the foundation of a high-performance culture." (189) o "'Good' results put you out of business. 'Great' results keep you in the middle of the pack. Organizations that THRIVE set new standards for business." (194) These are among the WHATs of building a high performance culture. (Presumably the WHYs are self-evident). The exceptional value of THRIVE is derived from how well Andrew Freedman explains the HOWs. * * * FYI: Paul Elliott designed the Exemplary Performance System (EPS), the framework that he and Andrew Freedman use to help leaders "view the world through a different lens. It helps create a path to process improvement, employee engagement, and consistent, higher levels of performance. The six influences of the EPS originated from the work of Tom Gilbert."

I highly recommend this book if you are a leader who is not only passionate about learning, growing, and pursuing your best self - and is looking to accelerate the performance of your organization and improve employee engagement. Thrive is hands down the most practical and comprehensive guide I have come across for business leaders. Andrew and Paul offer leaders the secret sauce on how to shift the performance curve (to have more higher performing employees) and change the trajectory of their organization. This is a book you will want to read through, and then continue to refer back to as your blueprint. You will learn fundamental skills, strategies, and insights that will help you produce lasting and meaningful change and transform the workplace. Grab a copy today if you want to make a ripple of impact - you will thrive, your people will thrive, and your organization will thrive. I can't think of any time better than now to THRIVE.

“Thrive: The Leader’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Culture” by Andrew Freedman with Paul Elliott is a must-read book for leaders who are ready to transform their organizations for the better. The book is well structured, broken down into a process that is easy to follow. I found the writing detailed but accessible and pleasantly free of business-school jargon. Instead, the authors explain the process (which is backed by research), provide compelling examples and case studies, and then provide leaders with the tools to go and implement these kinds of changes and improvements within their organizations. It makes for a winning, and highly readable, formula. I particularly appreciate the rigor and research behind the high-performance framework presented in the book. This is a process and that is backed by organizational psychology and the study of human behavior and performance, and tested out over decades within organizations. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of the Accelerators – tools and resources you can download directly to begin doing the thoughtful analysis and planning required to institute lasting organizational change. If you look at your organization and can see the barriers—or maybe more importantly if you can’t see them but know that they are there—you owe it to yourself to check out Thrive.

If you are looking for the right approach to building a high performing organization - this is definitely it. This book is my kind of read - it gets to the point. Honestly, I've read a lot of performance improvement books over the years, and a lot of them are simply curated business cases unrelated to one another, motivational management mantras, or other fluffy stuff. Often interesting, but rarely helpful. What I like about this book is that the authors lay out a logical system for improving performance by exposing and nurturing the attributes of star performers. It isn't cheerleading - it is telling you precisely how to get results. I guarantee you will find yourself nodding in agreement throughout the book, because it just makes so much sense. I think anyone in a management role of any kind could use the approach laid out here to make their people better at what they do. Read it, and then read it again. You're welcome.

This book, Thrive, immediately inspired me and my managers to create a better environment for our teams to not only succeed but THRIVE. I powered through the book and will read it again to reenforce the pertinent information. Andrew's passion for helping companies like mine is evident in the depth and thoroughness within the book. This is not only a book for businessmen and women. Everyone will take away something that can be used in daily life/family life as well. This is not your run of the mill read. Take the time to read it, absorb it, and then get ready to implement. Thank you to Andrew for this gift.

“Thrive: The Leader’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Culture” by Andrew Freedman with Paul Elliott is a fabulous resource for helping leaders raise the bar on performance. Clearly written, well researched, and based on years of experience, Freedman and Elliott offer guidance that many organizations desperately need.

This book is pure GOLD for any executive looking to improve their leadership and create a high-performing/winning culture. Not many leadership books give you the opportunity to walk away with actual tools and templates that you can use immediately. This book has made me better and I encourage ANYONE looking to level-up their leadership in 2021 to read and take action – lets go!

A well-written and well-planned book. It is packed with great research as well as cases that make it an easy read. The information is timely especially as organizations are working to keep momentum going and employees happy during all the workplace/day changes. I have recommended it to many people and should be an addition to leadership and business programs.

THRIVE is a very practical and actionable book that will definitely help leaders improve their organizations. The Exemplary Performance System is particularly useful for overcoming most organizational challenges. I also love the idea of the Role Excellence Profile as a catalyst for change, as well as the notion that leaders must start with a clear definition of success and then reverse-engineer their organizations to enable that.

This is a must read for any senior executive searching for a way to help their organization gain a competitive advantage, level up their leadership game, to drive predictable results from employees to deliver value to their organization and customers. As an executive leadership coach and high-performance consultant, I'm constantly searching for books, tools, and resources to help my clients think differently about how to get better results for their team and their organization. THRIVE is one of the most approachable, practical, yet comprehensive book to help senior executives learn how to create the conditions for their people to consistently deliver more value to their organization and customers. The authors outline the science-backed proven methodologies leaders can use to rethink how they're using (or underutilizing) the fundamentals of performance management, reward and recognition, coaching, mentoring, employee development, etc. and when those fundamentals are misaligned or misused in a way that slows or inhibits employees to show up and deliver results. Aside from being practical wisdom, the authors take care to really define and unpack what they mean by high performance, how leaders can more effectively reinforce behaviors that deliver results (and avoid the ones that don't) and how to refine their perspective on "what good looks like" for a particular role or position in the company. A huge bonus of the book is that the authors provide 20+ digital tools to accelerate their application of the methodologies in the book. You can immediately work with templates and resources referenced within THRIVE to start changing how you think about and drive high performance.

First, I want to commend Andrew Freedman who -- with substantial assistance from Paul Elliott -- makes brilliant use of several reader-friendly devices throughout the lively and eloquent narrative. They include "THRIVE Accelerators (e.g. tools, templates, or examples that llluminate and energize key insights and issues)," "THRIVE Reflection" interactive exercises, mini-case studies, and an "In Summary" review of key points in each chapter. As I began to read this book, I was again reminded of Peter Drucker's assertion that "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" and perhaps for lunch also. In Leading Change, James O'Toole suggests that the strongest resistance to change initiatives is cultural in nature, the result of what he so aptly characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." Freedman wrote this book in order to share his thoughts about the dos and don'ts to keep in mind when attempting to establish a high-performance culture. One of the most difficult challenges is to get those involved to think differently about change. Thriving is an admirable goal but surviving tends to be more urgent. Moreover, as Marshall Goldsmith reminds survivors, "what got you here won't get you there." In fact, it won't even let you stay here. In or near the downtown area in most cities, there's a farmer's market at which (at least pre-COVID) a few merchants offer samples of their wares. In that same spirit, I now share several brief excerpts that suggest the thrust and flavor of Freedman's thinking: o "A thriving enterprise requires employees to understand how their contributions, results, and accomplishments link to the organization and its strategic intent." (Page 33) o "Three organizational organizational influences -- Environments, Systems, and Resources; Expectations and Feedback; and Rewards, Recognition, and Consequences -- align to comprise overall corporate culture." (69) o "For an organization and its employees to thrive, there must be alignment of the three individual influences: capacity and job fit, skills and knowledge, and motivation and preferences...They reflect the totality of the individual, and none outweighs the others -- they must all fit together in a harmonic mosaic." (103) o "Creating clarity around what excellent performance looks like and using the new standard as the design point for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, performance management, and career mobility can have a significant impact on your organization's top -- and bottom-line business results." (124) o "Organizational momentum comes in a position to ove your organization to a halt when employees can't see how their role fits in with the strategy -- distance and disconnection create disengagement and, ultimately, diminished performance...[Focus on] measuring what matters most and putting your people in a position to move your organization forward." (146) o "New initiatives will not deliver the intended benefits with a fractional focus or effort. Leaders must set the example of full commitment to an execution and implementation effort that delivers the intended business outcomes." (168) o "Get your head right...In order to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, leaders need to understand the that providing steadfast leadership amidst chaos, clarity and certainty during times of great ambiguity, and fortitude when it would be easier to relent and retreat are defining characteristics that form the foundation of a high-performance culture." (189) o "'Good' results put you out of business. 'Great' results keep you in the middle of the pack. Organizations that THRIVE set new standards for business." (194) These are among the WHATs of building a high performance culture. (Presumably the WHYs are self-evident). The exceptional value of THRIVE is derived from how well Andrew Freedman explains the HOWs. * * * FYI: Paul Elliott designed the Exemplary Performance System (EPS), the framework that he and Andrew Freedman use to help leaders "view the world through a different lens. It helps create a path to process improvement, employee engagement, and consistent, higher levels of performance. The six influences of the EPS originated from the work of Tom Gilbert."

There are countless books on the topic of organizational strategy in the marketplace but few on how to successfully execute strategy, essential in the dynamic, everchanging organizational environment we live in today. 'Thrive' by Andrew Freedman and Paul Elliott, is the blueprint for business success and a key resource for every leader serious about optimizing the performance of their organization, teams and team members. In my consulting practice, I have seen far to many leaders attempt to implement their strategies yet fail because they missed the mark in identifying and implementing the specific performance levers needed to transform their organization and produce lasting systemic change. I highly recommend 'Thrive'. The guidance in this book will challenge your mindset and transform your organization… guaranteed!

I have read more than 900+ books on this topic and have YET to see a more comprehensive guide for leaders to unpack the art, the science, the stories and ultimately the practices of high performance. It's a perfect blend of research and case results of how to truly duplicate your high performers. Now, I am extremely biased here... as I have known Andrew for nearly 20 years, having worked side by side in helping hundreds of organizations THRIVE... throughout this journey and yet, I am still blown away by what's in this book. And can you imagine a more perfect time, given what we have all lived through this past year... it feels like it is time to THRIVE!

“If you move forward on the path we outline, you must fully commit to this process of change.” Get ready because Thrive is unlike any other book you will read. It is a true blueprint and actionable guide based not on theory but actual methods/approaches that have proven success in building a high performance culture. I love how this book has challenged me to think differently about what I think I knew about engagement and performance in the workplace. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy - definitely worth the read and with the convenient tools and templates, you can’t help but take action immediately!

This book goes to the top of my list of books that leaders can ACTUALLY leverage to usher in higher performance for their organizations. Andrew Freedman clearly has lived this out and advised leaders to reach their goals. THRIVE outlines an entire system that leaders can implement to improve workforce engagement and performance. What I love is that this isn’t just an advice book, it is actionable and practical, built on tried-and-true approaches that work. THRIVE challenges leaders to critically differently about what success looks like, and what it really takes to win – BIG.

Practical. If there is one word I could use to describe this book it would be that: practical. Andrew has an incredible ability to demystify the secret of high performance through relevant and applicable approaches, examples, and tools that any leader can pick up and put into practice immediately. And if the book wasn’t enough, the accelerators and reflection questions featured throughout make the methodologies and related practices accessible to any reader at any point in time throughout their leadership journey. This is hands down the best leadership book I have read and evert minute spent in the book was worth it.

We are bombarded with well-intentioned business books most of which offer generic counsel at best. We get excited and run off to put those one-size-fits-none suggestions to use, only to grow frustrated when they don't help us realize the promised results. Now...finally...there's a book that breaks through the hypothetical and launches the reader into a comprehensive - and doable - approach to defining high performance in a specific role in your organization AND to supporting people's development and success in that role and beyond. Andrew Freedman's deep knowledge of the subject matter comes to life through his relevant, plain-spoken story-telling and how-to guidance. Even better are built-in tools (reflections and accelerators) that help the reader go do the things the book prescribes. If you want to stop wishing and start creating actionable clarity that gets the results you want, this is your "cookbook" with the recipe any of us can bake.

Andrew Freedman's book gives you the insight and roadmap to structure a high-performance culture. Serious business leaders, those that see 2021 as opportunity to change the trajectory of their organization, will devour this book. I've recommended it to several others already and will continue to for years to come. Great the first time you read it even better the 2nd and 3rd time.

I’ve read numerous books on leadership and human performance. I’ve read numerous books on organizational and team effectiveness. THRIVE brought it all together (EPS) in a wholistic plan with real life business case examples and tools (“accelerators”). It shifted what I believed to be cornerstone models for people and team performance. I wish this was written 15 years ago!

As an Executive and Team Dynamics Coach, I am always looking for the latest research and strategic ways to positively impact my corporate clients. THRIVE provides just that. It is not the "typical" business book - it feels like the authors are talking with you in a room, and everything they say simply makes sense. With tactical ways to apply the strategies throughout the book (all backed by research and their own experiences), THRIVE should be in every leader or coach/consultant's tool kit. Highly recommend!

If you are a business leader searching for a proven approach to take your business (and team) to that next level, look no further. This book was such an easy read, and simplified a lot of what can typically be more academic. The tools, templates and actionable steps outlined in this book can be directly applied to transform workplace engagement, eliminate barriers to high performance, and accelerate results. Highly recommend picking this up, and also gifting to a leader you know!

Thrive begins and ends with a challenge. In fact, the entire book challenges the reader to shift the view of work and thrive in the results. Thrive is organized in a way that facilitates planning and success. Each of the seven chapter names begins with an action verb that dares you to read on and reflect on your current environment and business challenges. Within all chapters, resources abound with graphics and downloadable assets that support the themes. Having worked in corporate education and performance development for over 33 years, I see this book as a groundbreaker. Andrew addresses topics head-on and does not hold back. Thrive is filled with identifiable scenarios, case studies, and consultation from experts. If you are ready to face reality and thrive, I highly recommend reading this book and keeping it close at hand. We always need an effective picture of what good business looks like.

As I began to read THRIVE, which is, and will be, a resource for years to come, I was transported back in time and into the future of what building and running a business should “look” like. “Thrive: The Leader’s Guide to Building a High-Performance Culture” by Andrew Freedman with Paul Elliott is a strong approach for leaders who are ready to raise the bar on performance inside your company – making people the absolute framework to build on. At times I felt Andrew was talking to directly to me, or about my company, and at other times he was giving me a glimpse of what we should/could and ought to be doing based on real-life examples. Early on in the book, Andrew shared some personal stories and also recommended that we read the book without taking notes – the FIRST time we read it. He told us that after we read it – to read it again – but only at that time should we take notes – that was one of best pieces of advice that an author can give – and I followed that advice! It is clearly written, well researched, and based on years of experience, Freedman offers guidance that many organizations desperately need. The little "tests" are an added bonus and makes the book more valuable. It Is apparent that Freedman wrote this book in order to share his thoughts about the dos and don'ts one should keep in mind when attempting to establish a high-performance culture. One of the most difficult challenges is to get those involved to think differently about change. But only with change does a culture have a chance to survive and THRIVE. This book is a “guide” that breaks through the hypothetical and launches the reader into a comprehensive - and doable - approach to defining high performance in a specific role in your organization. I recommend it highly to any one who has ever built, managed or led a company, or has ever considered doing that very thing in the near future - or someone that could use a refresher course and/or an introduction to what can be done to build a better business from the inside out. Get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP!

Thrive is the book for committed leaders who want to make a real sustainable difference in their workplace. Full of practical ideas, based on real experiences, with a blueprint and tools to get actionable fast. Unlike some books that speak in broad theory and leave you guessing as to how to apply the techniques, Thrive breaks down the art and science of creating better workplace engagement into specific, achievable steps. More than a book, this is a tool and a leverage point for your business!

Thrive --- is an easy must read for CEOs and leaders who commit to constant growth, it’s relevant for today’s business climate and then some! Thrive goes beyond theory and writing, to providing a clear blueprint for building a high-performance teams/cultures. So many books identify needed changes, thrive provides a clear path for implementation. Andrew Freedman and Paul Elliott have articulated perfectly how organizations can overcome limiting beliefs and create high performing cultures. While this book will inspire change, rarely organizations can achieve this level of greatness without professional assistance. If you are going to consider true change for your organization Andrew Freedman has a life time career of walking his talk—professional, kind, intellectually and emotionally intelligent—it all comes out in the book—get it in person for your organization.

I have held leadership roles long enough to know I need all the tools I can find to make me a better leader- I have three book shelves and a kindle full of great leadership books- this is one I would keep at hand especially in the leadership landscape we face today. It provides philosophy to make you think deeper, research data ( I need the facts behind it) and real-life experiences (real example)- and it does make you uncomfortable as a leader- I have been pushed as leader to reassess and make adjustments - it makes you rethink you leadership habits. Strongly recommend reading this one- not once but pull out sections and reread them- great read for new and not so new leaers.