Acknowledgments x

Introduction xi

1 Hungry 1

2 Grandma’s Soup House 5

3 Grandma 9

4 Nancy 13

5 Another Bowl 15

6 Who Stirs the Pot Matters 19

7 Teachers Are Everywhere 23

8 Soup = Culture 27

9 A Culture of Greatness 31

10 Nightmare 35

11 Lead With Optimism 39

12 Leadership Is a Transfer of Belief 43

13 Guard Against Pessimism 47

14 The Mirror Test 51

15 Nancy Stirs the Pot 53

16 Hire Possibility Thinkers 55

17 A Unifying Vision 57

18 Spread the Vision 61

19 Build Trust 63

20 Busy 67

21 The Survey 69

22 Enhance Communication 71

23 Fill the Void 75

24 Add a Big Dose of Transparency and Authenticity 79

25 Treat Them Like Family 81

26 Love 83

27 Rumors 85

28 A New Measuring Stick 89

29 Relationships 93

30 Soup Is Meant to Be Enjoyed Together 95

31 Rules Without Relationship Lead to Rebellion 97

32 The Enemies Are Busyness and Stress 99

33 Engaged Relationships 103

34 Encourage, Inspire, Empower, and Coach 105

35 A Team of Pot Stirrers 109

36 The Offer 113

37 Another Shot 117

38 40 Days of Engagement 119

39 No One Eats Alone 121

40 Success Fridays 123

41 Fill Up with Appreciation 125

42 The Ultimate Recognition Program 129

43 Great Service 131

44 Leading by Example 133

45 Friday Night 135

46 Passion 137

47 Hot Soup 141

48 Tastier Soup 143

49 The Decision 147

50 An Offer They Couldn’t Refuse 149

51 The Power of Relationships 153

52 Unity 155

53 The Recipe Book 159

Nourish Your Team and Culture 163

Other Books by Jon Gordon 164

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.

“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

“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

Why it matters who’s stirring the pot

Only a few months into her new job, Nancy wondered whether or not she should have said yes to the CEO position at Soup, Inc. Sales were declining, bankruptcy and takeover rumors were swirling, and employee morale had never been lower. The company had lost both flavor and heat; and nobody likes lukewarm soup. How was Nancy going to turn it around?

Sometimes the answer you need is right in front of you. On a lunch break, Nancy steps into Grandma’s Soup House, a little place she hadn’t noticed before, and happens upon an unexpected source of inspiration. New from the bestselling author of The Energy Bus and Training Camp, Soup tells the “stirring” story of how Nancy discovers the key ingredients to revitalizing her company, her team, and herself.

A recipe for success for anyone in any position, Soup delivers the powerful message that the quality of your career, business, and team is determined by the quality of your relationships.

People are hungry for positive change and a fresh sense of purpose and passion. If you are ready to stir the pot and lead by example, Soup is a fun and engaging story that supplies you with the tools you need to build a winning team—at work, school, or home.