Thrive: When Trouble Visits: Being Your Best in Tough Times (Popular Press Edition)
Author(s): Mark J Sullivan
Edition: 1
Copyright: 2024
Thrive: When Trouble Visits: Being Your Best in Tough Times provides readers with tools needed to thrive in difficult, life changing conditions. The tools discussed have been compiled from a variety of intellectual, successful, and determined individuals. The contributing authors’ stories present the key components and insights they believe brought them back from rock bottom.
Thrive: When Trouble Visits: Being Your Best in Tough Times:
- Gives readers the learnings and insight to have purpose, passion and presence when faced with a challenging situation.
- Offers timely, yet timeless concepts - including a formula that calculates the impact of an assortment of situations could have on an individual.
- Inspires the reader’s best-self under unfortunate conditions.
Preview: Featured Models
Acknowledgments
• Book Team
• Signature Contributors
Preface
Introduction
Chapter Executive Summaries
PART I: RESILIENCE
The 5Cs That Support You in Tough Times
—The Power of Now—
1 Trouble: Turning Tough Times into Better Times
FEATURED STORY: John Sculley – Former CEO of Pepsi Cola who introduced America to the “Cola Wars.” Replaced Steve Jobs at Apple and then, 10 years later, was replaced by Steve Jobs at Apple.
2 Courage: A Call to Our Grander Self
FEATURED STORY: Otis Moss – Grew up in the segregated South in the midst of the KKK circle of terror. Marched at Selma and was family advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sr.
3 Care: Inside-Out, Outside-In, Between
FEATURED STORY: Dolph Lundgren – From tough, abusive childhood to Hollywood movie star featured as Soviet superstar opponent of fictional Rocky Balboa on screen in Rocky IV.
4 Commitment: Coming Through When It Matters
FEATURED STORY: Irlan Silva – Grew up among the deadly shoot outs and drug trafficking of the Brazilian gangs. He practiced classical dance high on the rooftops of ghetto buildings enroute to becoming a premier member of the world-class Boston Ballet.
5 Confidence: Trusting Yourself
FEATURED STORY: Cameron Mitchell – From a troubled childhood to the board room as a celebrity chef and one of America’s top restaurant entrepreneurs.
6 Community: The Multiplier Effect: Leveraging Support from Others
FEATURED STORY: Valerie Plame – CIA covert operations officer, managing a large network of American spies, was outed by a White House official putting many at risk.
PART II: MINDSETS
From Mush to Meaning: Making Sense Out of It All
—The Power of Knowing—
7 Five Mindsets: A Way of Looking at the World
FEATURED STORY: Stanley McChrystal – Four Star General shuttling between mindsets in a combat theatre. Drama in high places between the White House and the Taliban.
8 Insight: Seeing in New Ways
FEATURED STORY: Frank Abagnale – Notorious pilot-, surgeon-, lawyer-impersonator turned celebrated FBI Academy instructor as told in Hollywood’s Catch Me If You Can.
PART III: TRANSFORMATION
Toward THRIVING
—The Power of Nurturing—
9 Struggling: Surviving-Reviving-Thriving
FEATURED STORY: Jim Morris – a 36-year-old walk-on Major League Baseball player portrayed by Dennis Quaid in the movie The Rookie.
10 Transformation: Toward Building a Bigger, Better Future
FEATURED STORY: Scott Cowen – 14th President of Tulane University and ranked by TIME magazine as one of America’s Ten Top University Presidents after surviving Hurricane Katrina and saving a major University from closing.
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Mark J. Sullivan, Ph.D.
International Keynote Speaker, Author, Leadership Advisor, Board Director, Lecturer
Mark Sullivan, an organizational psychologist, with over 25 plus years in industry, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Performance Learning Academy – a senior executive coaching, keynoting, and speaker’s lab. He has served in senior leadership and strategic operating roles in three Global 1000/ Dow 30 companies.
For Honeywell International, he founded and managed a Corporate Business Accelerator that grew into a $1B product portfolio. He was an Accenture P&L executive, co-leading the North American Human Capital Practice. More recently, he was the Chief Talent Officer for Battelle, a $50B government contractor of classified and commercial technology.
Earlier in his career, Mark was based in Tokyo, Singapore, and Chicago for United Airlines (UAL). He oversaw UAL's Executive Sales Institute worldwide; and was on the flight school faculty, FAA certified, for hostage negotiating and emergency services. Additionally, in the airline industry, he was notably recognized for multiple disaster recovery efforts.
During this time, Mark was also briefly on special assignment with the U.S. State Department, to support Prime Minister Gorbachev's political reformation efforts in the latter stages of Perestroika. Moscow and Leningrad-based, he worked with a select team of Soviet Generals in developing practices for negotiating peace agreements with their regional neighbors.
Mark earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior at Case Western Reserve University - (Weatherhead Management School); and his M.A. from Harvard University. He is a Kauffman Foundation Scholar; a Weatherhead Family Business Research Fellow; a Post-Doctoral clinical resident from the Gestalt Institute; and a visiting faculty at the Roman Catholic Pontifical College. He has also served as an award-winning senior lecturer on Executive Education and MBA Faculties for major public and private universities. He is a noted leadership authority in performing in high-demand, high-challenge environments.
His second book, a much-acclaimed popular press edition is titled, “THRIVE: When Trouble Visits!” The 100-plus book interviews of astronauts, four-star generals, university presidents, CEOs, clergy, elite athletes, media icons, and Hollywood celebrities focus on their personal stories of going to hell and back and the learned lived wisdom along the way.
On the personal front, as a former British Outward Bound Survival School Instructor and Eagle Scout, he enjoys outdoor pursuits: running, sailing, and camping. He is married with three sons.
Thrive: When Trouble Visits: Being Your Best in Tough Times provides readers with tools needed to thrive in difficult, life changing conditions. The tools discussed have been compiled from a variety of intellectual, successful, and determined individuals. The contributing authors’ stories present the key components and insights they believe brought them back from rock bottom.
Thrive: When Trouble Visits: Being Your Best in Tough Times:
- Gives readers the learnings and insight to have purpose, passion and presence when faced with a challenging situation.
- Offers timely, yet timeless concepts - including a formula that calculates the impact of an assortment of situations could have on an individual.
- Inspires the reader’s best-self under unfortunate conditions.
Preview: Featured Models
Acknowledgments
• Book Team
• Signature Contributors
Preface
Introduction
Chapter Executive Summaries
PART I: RESILIENCE
The 5Cs That Support You in Tough Times
—The Power of Now—
1 Trouble: Turning Tough Times into Better Times
FEATURED STORY: John Sculley – Former CEO of Pepsi Cola who introduced America to the “Cola Wars.” Replaced Steve Jobs at Apple and then, 10 years later, was replaced by Steve Jobs at Apple.
2 Courage: A Call to Our Grander Self
FEATURED STORY: Otis Moss – Grew up in the segregated South in the midst of the KKK circle of terror. Marched at Selma and was family advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sr.
3 Care: Inside-Out, Outside-In, Between
FEATURED STORY: Dolph Lundgren – From tough, abusive childhood to Hollywood movie star featured as Soviet superstar opponent of fictional Rocky Balboa on screen in Rocky IV.
4 Commitment: Coming Through When It Matters
FEATURED STORY: Irlan Silva – Grew up among the deadly shoot outs and drug trafficking of the Brazilian gangs. He practiced classical dance high on the rooftops of ghetto buildings enroute to becoming a premier member of the world-class Boston Ballet.
5 Confidence: Trusting Yourself
FEATURED STORY: Cameron Mitchell – From a troubled childhood to the board room as a celebrity chef and one of America’s top restaurant entrepreneurs.
6 Community: The Multiplier Effect: Leveraging Support from Others
FEATURED STORY: Valerie Plame – CIA covert operations officer, managing a large network of American spies, was outed by a White House official putting many at risk.
PART II: MINDSETS
From Mush to Meaning: Making Sense Out of It All
—The Power of Knowing—
7 Five Mindsets: A Way of Looking at the World
FEATURED STORY: Stanley McChrystal – Four Star General shuttling between mindsets in a combat theatre. Drama in high places between the White House and the Taliban.
8 Insight: Seeing in New Ways
FEATURED STORY: Frank Abagnale – Notorious pilot-, surgeon-, lawyer-impersonator turned celebrated FBI Academy instructor as told in Hollywood’s Catch Me If You Can.
PART III: TRANSFORMATION
Toward THRIVING
—The Power of Nurturing—
9 Struggling: Surviving-Reviving-Thriving
FEATURED STORY: Jim Morris – a 36-year-old walk-on Major League Baseball player portrayed by Dennis Quaid in the movie The Rookie.
10 Transformation: Toward Building a Bigger, Better Future
FEATURED STORY: Scott Cowen – 14th President of Tulane University and ranked by TIME magazine as one of America’s Ten Top University Presidents after surviving Hurricane Katrina and saving a major University from closing.
Afterword
Notes
Bibliography
Mark J. Sullivan, Ph.D.
International Keynote Speaker, Author, Leadership Advisor, Board Director, Lecturer
Mark Sullivan, an organizational psychologist, with over 25 plus years in industry, is the Chief Executive Officer of the Performance Learning Academy – a senior executive coaching, keynoting, and speaker’s lab. He has served in senior leadership and strategic operating roles in three Global 1000/ Dow 30 companies.
For Honeywell International, he founded and managed a Corporate Business Accelerator that grew into a $1B product portfolio. He was an Accenture P&L executive, co-leading the North American Human Capital Practice. More recently, he was the Chief Talent Officer for Battelle, a $50B government contractor of classified and commercial technology.
Earlier in his career, Mark was based in Tokyo, Singapore, and Chicago for United Airlines (UAL). He oversaw UAL's Executive Sales Institute worldwide; and was on the flight school faculty, FAA certified, for hostage negotiating and emergency services. Additionally, in the airline industry, he was notably recognized for multiple disaster recovery efforts.
During this time, Mark was also briefly on special assignment with the U.S. State Department, to support Prime Minister Gorbachev's political reformation efforts in the latter stages of Perestroika. Moscow and Leningrad-based, he worked with a select team of Soviet Generals in developing practices for negotiating peace agreements with their regional neighbors.
Mark earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior at Case Western Reserve University - (Weatherhead Management School); and his M.A. from Harvard University. He is a Kauffman Foundation Scholar; a Weatherhead Family Business Research Fellow; a Post-Doctoral clinical resident from the Gestalt Institute; and a visiting faculty at the Roman Catholic Pontifical College. He has also served as an award-winning senior lecturer on Executive Education and MBA Faculties for major public and private universities. He is a noted leadership authority in performing in high-demand, high-challenge environments.
His second book, a much-acclaimed popular press edition is titled, “THRIVE: When Trouble Visits!” The 100-plus book interviews of astronauts, four-star generals, university presidents, CEOs, clergy, elite athletes, media icons, and Hollywood celebrities focus on their personal stories of going to hell and back and the learned lived wisdom along the way.
On the personal front, as a former British Outward Bound Survival School Instructor and Eagle Scout, he enjoys outdoor pursuits: running, sailing, and camping. He is married with three sons.