Praise for Soup
"So often we only concern ourselves with wins and losses. We overlook what is at the core of success, and that is the 'culture' of the team that is created by the leader or leadership group. If you create a culture where all members of the team can thrive and do their jobs effectively, then the score will take care of itself. Jon gives you the recipe of how to create a culture of greatness for your team, organization, or family."
—Mike Smith, Head Coach, The Atlanta Falcons
"In a world where leaders are pulled in a million different directions, Soup reminds us that we must make time to cultivate engaged relationships in order to build a winning organization and team."
—Margaret Kelly, Chief Executive Officer, RE/MAX International Inc.
"A lot of my job as a leader is to help others unleash their gifts and passions. Sometimes these gifts appear to be hidden beneath the surface but with a little heat and care, they bubble up to the surface. That's what you'll find in Soup by Jon Gordon. Told in an entertaining parable form, Soup will help you understand how to nurture the greatness in others so that you can become great as a team."
—Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor of National Community Church and author of Primal
"Jon Gordon continually finds unique and creative ways to reveal the essential components of an efficient organization and always does so with great depth and insight. Soup provides the key ingredients to establishing culture and is another example of how Gordon's writing transcends common thought."
—Sam Presti, Executive Vice President and General Manager, the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder
"There's a common problem in business today. It's a people problem . . . but maybe not in the way you would think. We spend so much time focusing on the bottom line that many fail to focus on the people who make the bottom line what it is. People matter and how we lead them matters. This is why I recommend Jon Gordon's new book. It provides the recipe for mobilizing and engaging a team."
—Chris Brogan, New York Times bestselling author of Trust Agents and Social Media 101
Jon Gordon’s best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, and college coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals, and non-profits. He is the author of The Wall Street Journal best seller The Energy Bus, The No Complaining Rule, Training Camp, The Shark and The Goldfish and Soup: A Recipe to Nourish your Team and Culture. Jon invites you to visit and connect with him at www.JonGordon.com
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
1 Hungry.
2 Grandma's Soup House.
3 Grandma.
4 Nancy.
5 Another Bowl.
6 Who Stirs the Pot Matters.
7 Teachers Are Everywhere.
8 Soup = Culture.
9 A Culture of Greatness.
10 Nightmare.
11 Lead With Optimism.
12 Leadership Is a Transfer of Belief.
13 Guard Against Pessimism.
14 The Mirror Test.
15 Nancy Stirs the Pot.
16 Hire Possibility Thinkers.
17 A Unifying Vision.
18 Spread the Vision.
19 Build Trust.
20 Busy.
21 The Survey.
22 Enhance Communication.
23 Fill the Void.
24 Add a Big Dose of Transparency and Authenticity.
25 Treat Them Like Family.
26 Love.
27 Rumors.
28 A New Measuring Stick.
29 Relationships.
30 Soup Is Meant to Be Enjoyed Together.
31 Rules Without Relationship Lead to Rebellion.
32 The Enemies Are Busyness and Stress.
33 Engaged Relationships.
34 Encourage, Inspire, Empower, and Coach.
35 A Team of Pot Stirrers.
36 The Offer.
37 Another Shot.
38 40 Days of Engagement.
39 No One Eats Alone.
40 Success Fridays.
41 Fill Up with Appreciation.
42 The Ultimate Recognition Program.
43 Great Service.
44 Leading by Example.
45 Friday Night.
46 Passion.
47 Hot Soup.
48 Tastier Soup.
49 The Decision.
50 An Offer They Couldn't Refuse.
51 The Power of Relationships.
52 Unity.
53 The Recipe Book.
Nourish Your Team and Culture.
Other Books by Jon Gordon.
JBru-19
Posted December 12, 2010
Gordon delivers yet another winner. Soup is an excellent resource for young leaders and established professionals alike. This parable contains an easy to understand recipe for how you can be a catalyst of positive change. One of the most challenging aspects of leadership is helping employees discover and utilize their unique talents. Jon does a masterful job teaching the reader how to help their employees (and themselves) tap into skills and abilities not always immediately visible to themselves and others.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 4, 2010
The book "Soup" by Jon Gordon features the message of being a strong leader. However the books plot has a terrible flow and lacks the proper detail and substance necessary to form a well-rounded story. Throughout the text images of napkins with three to four words are present, as if to give a better meaning to the story, however it only provides a distraction and space filler. The plot also seems to flip around, and leave the reader confused as to what happened. The text also leaves out the basic information, we only barely learn of one of our characters background, and it is limited to three weeks prior. Not only is this book's plot terrible, its characters are shallow and easily swayed, with very little interfering with their self judgment. The only saving grace is the message. The message of the book rang clear, though poorly displayed; it stressed the importance of a leader, and how the leader decides the direction of the whole company. All in all, this book receives a three out of ten (or a 1.5 out of 5).
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I have been a "fan" of Jon's since the Energy Bus! Soup is a delightful story with the same "easy to read" approach as his other books. I have been working with employee engagement and leadership development for the past 15 years of my career and find the ideas set forth in this book will be great to implement (and fun) into my daily work. While this is an "easy read" the concepts Jon talks about are fundatmental to having an engaged team.
In today's workplace, trust and passion are such an important ingredients, along with personal accountability - and it begins with the leaders. How you "stir the soup" with your team(s) will determine if you have "great soup" or "luke warm soup" or "cold soup." The hotter the soup - the better the team.
This book gives a great recipe to build your team's engagement and commitment for coming to work, without "whining," and providing great service - both to your customers and to each other.
What a fun way to engage people at work and "get them on the bus!" I can't wait to start stirring things up!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Gymbeaux
Posted May 20, 2010
If you have read any of Jon Gordon's book, you will love this one. It is written in the inspirational novel format where a story line is used to develop a very practical business model. When cooking soup, all kinds of ingredients are used but as the book points out, the outcome is determined by the love and inspiration of the person who "stirs the pot". I am extremely thankful that I work for a company that could have been used by Gordon as an almost perfect example of the business model depicted. This is simply a good book that will cause you to think about your current business practices and what they could or should be instead of what they might currently be. "Gymbeaux"
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Shannon16
Posted May 19, 2010
"Once again, Jon Gordon delivers. In an engaging, page turning, format, SOUP provide leaders with timeless advice on what matters most- a "how to" on investing and building relationships. At the core of all that we do as leaders, nothing is more important. As Gordon skillfully takes us on a new CEO's journey, we find ourselves being reminded of the critical role executives play in creating "a community" in the workplace. Don't let the title SOUP fool you... You won't put this one down!"
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 30, 2013
Better... getting brter....
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted May 30, 2013
Two hours later they woke and set up an insistent chorus of soft little screams to be fed again. And every two hours after that. Four times in the night, I crawled out of bed to warm their milk, and in the morning I congratulated myself that they were looking just a little bit stronger, a little bit bigger.
Mike, reporting on their progress to his co-workers, came home one evening with word that his secretary had offered to adopt Peaches, my favorite because of her lobely soft coloring. Now that she soon would be leaving, I found myself picking up Peaches less often. Idly I wondered if no longer being treated as special would affect her personality. Then the thought turned itself around. Suppose I were to give one of the other kittens extra amounts of mothering? Suppose I held and cuddled him more? Would he grow up to be any different than his siblings? I thought itd be an interesting expirement.
NathanIves
Posted April 9, 2013
Soup: A Recipe to Nourish Your Team and Culture a business novel by Jon Gordon illustrates the significant impact senior leaders have on setting and nurturing their organization's culture. Jon goes on to reveal how culture, in-turn, drives performance and ultimately an organization's success.
I believe leaders at the top set the tone and tenor of the organization's performance; that the workforce will, over time, embody a set of beliefs aligned with senior management's decisions and actions.
I like Soup for the way in which the relationship between senior leader decisions and actions, organizational beliefs and work ethic, and overall company results is illustrated. Through the story of Soup, Inc., Jon reveals the nuances of decisions and actions by a CEO and how these effect those immediately around her and are then translated throughout the workforce. These easy-to-relate-to interactions follow closely with our own experience with personnel reactions in the workplace; making Soup`s lessons both real and applicable.
The lessons in Soup go one step further; illustrating in an implementable step-by-step fashion how to positively impact and change an organization's culture.
Soup`s insights and implementable actions on how to constructively improve an organization's culture makes it a StrategyDriven recommended read.
All the Best,
Nathan Ives
StrategyDriven Principal
Anonymous
Posted December 28, 2011
I am starting my own business and will use this book as a keystone in my dealings with my partners and my customer. Great, fast read, a must have book for anyone.
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Overview
Praise for Soup
"So often we only concern ourselves with wins and losses. We overlook what is at the core of success, and that is the 'culture' of the team that is created by the leader or leadership group. If you create a culture where all members of the team can thrive and do their jobs effectively, then the score will take care of itself. Jon gives you the recipe of how to create a culture of greatness for your team, organization, or family."
—Mike Smith, Head Coach, The ...