Synopses & Reviews
High Five! combines the spellbinding charm of a timeless parable with cutting-edge information about why teams are important and what individuals and organizations can do to build successful ones.
Through the story of Alan Foster, a workplace one-man band, High Five! identifies the four key ingredients of winning teams. Although Alan is an effective producer, he is unwilling to share the spotlight by partnering on projects and is fired because, as his boss puts it, "Alan, we need good producers who are good team players, too." It is a bitter pill for him to swallow.
While mulling over his disappointment, he takes his son to his grade-five hockey practice, where it is clear that his son's team, the Riverbend Warriors, knows nothing about teamwork, either. When the team's two overworked coaches learn of Alan's plight, they persuade him to join their ranks, and he finds himself charged with teaching himself and the players the meaning of teamwork. With the help of a woman friend-a former girls' basketball coach who has "won more high school basketball championships than anyone"-Alan and the Warriors learn the magic of teamwork and that "none of us is as smart as all of us."
With its simple style and easy-to-follow techniques, High Five! is a must-read for anyone seeking to learn the value and power of teamwork.
About the Author
Ken Blanchard, Ph.D., is a prominent, gregarious, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant. He is usually characterized by friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and passionate men in business today. Blanchard's impact as a writer is far reaching. His perennial bestsellers include
Raving Fans and
Whale Done! He is the Chief Spiritual Officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies, a full-service global management training and consulting company that he and his wife, Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, founded in 1979 in San Diego. He is also cofounder of The Center for FaithWalk Leadership, a nonprofit ministry committed to challenging and equipping people to Lead Like Jesus.
Susan Fowler is one of the world's foremost experts on personal empowerment and has spoken on the subject in all fifty of the United States and more than twenty foreign countries. With Ken Blanchard and Laurence Hawkins she created -- and is the lead developer of -- Situational Self Leadership;®, which focuses on empowerment and taking the initiative when you're not in charge. She is an adjunct professor for the University of San Diego's masters of science in executive leadership program.
Laurence Hawkins is an internationally renowned management consultant, motivational speaker, and -- with Ken Blanchard and Susan Fowler -- the coauthor of the Situational Self Leadership program. Hawkins received his bachelor's degree in American history and literature from Williams College and his master's and doctoral degrees in leadership and organizational behavior from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.