Finalist
Book Title:Thriving Talent: How Great Leaders Drive Performance, Engagement and Retention
Author:Aoife O'Brien
Published:2026
How is your book helping others?
Thriving Talent helps leaders understand what prevents employees doing their best work, and what they can do about it, challenging the idea that underperformance is always an individual problem. Instead, it asks leaders and HR to consider the conditions they’ve created for people to perform. The stories woven throughout help people reflect on their own experiences. Readers say they see themselves in the book: workplace situations, managers they’ve had, and their own leadership styles, both positive and negative.
People dip back into the book when challenges arise, using the frameworks and prompts to work out what to do.
Employees also say it’s helped them better understand their values, needs and strengths, as well as their work environment, and put into words what isn’t working for them. The book works at two levels: helping leaders create the conditions for employees to perform sustainably, and helping individuals understand what they need to thrive.