What does it look like to thrive at work? For many professionals, thriving has been synonymous with upward mobility, bringing with it new titles, broader responsibilities, an expanded view.
While advancement is an important and worthy goal, it is not the lone measure of success. Staying in a role for an extended period doesn’t mean all personal and professional growth halts — especially for senior leaders who find themselves at the top of the corporate ladder.
In these moments, growing and flourishing are redefined, and leaders must learn to thrive in place. In our work at SHRM Linkage and the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership, we are committed to helping leaders excel at every stage of their journey.
What Does It Mean to Thrive in Place?
Sustained thriving does not require a promotion or a job change. It means reaching new heights within your role. You’ve done the preparation; you’ve earned your position. Now it’s time to perform at your highest level. Thriving in place begins with owning where you are, right now.
The Business Case for Thriving in Place
When individuals are empowered to grow where they are, organizations can optimize talent and unlock untapped potential at every level.
High-performing organizations today need more than productivity. They need engaged teams to succeed — with employees bringing their whole selves, their unique strengths, and, ideally, their discretionary effort to their work.
The Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership’s Thrive Index indicates that thriving at work boils down to three core experiences:
Wanting to make a meaningful contribution.
Being valued for that contribution.
Experiencing growth and learning.
These experiences can and should be happening in any role, at any level. If they are not happening, there are ways to build that potential for yourself and your team.
What Does Thriving in Place Look Like?
We know today’s professionals are navigating disruption, complexity, and unprecedented demands. In that context, thriving might sound like a luxury, but it’s the essential ingredient for success. People who feel seen, valued, and supported perform at their best.
Thriving in place begins when organizations prioritize purpose, belonging, and clarity. That means listening deeply, removing barriers, and investing in development for entire ecosystems of talent. SHRM Linkage’s Purposeful Leadership Model has proven the impact of inclusive and intentional cultures — equipping leaders to be more effective in driving high-performing teams.
Embedding purposeful leadership isn’t a one-and-done practice. It requires planning and programming for continuous development. Leaders and their organizations must:
Prepare talent to grow by emphasizing skills-based and emotional intelligence.
Position teams for success through forward-thinking learning and development.
Perform with excellence in the face of changes and challenges. This is the phase where the ability to thrive in place becomes most visible.
Purposeful leadership also enables individuals to recognize their own agency — a critical facet in optimizing all talent and transforming organizations. Leadership is not defined by position. It’s a mindset, and it can be activated at any level. When people embrace their unique value and align it with the organization’s mission, they don’t just show up. They step in, fully.
Practices That Support Thriving
Arrive and Thrive: 7 Impactful Practices for Women Navigating Leadership, co-authored by Susan MacKenty Brady, offers practices that apply to everyone, not just women, and not just those in formal leadership roles. These practices help individuals return to their best selves so they can show up with clarity, strength, and intention.
Here are three essential practices that support thriving in place:
Return to Your Best Self
Especially in the face of turbulence, disagreement, or uncertainty, learning to self-regulate and return to your best self is essential. It is not about perfection. It is about presence.
Know and Embrace Your Authentic Self
Thriving starts with alignment. That means checking in on your values, recognizing what enables or blocks you from living those values, and owning your strengths and talents. This kind of self-clarity builds confidence and capacity.
Foster Resilience Through Reflective Sense-Making
As Simmons University President and Arrive and Thrive co-author Dr. Lynn Perry Wooten teaches, resilience is built through reflection. When we pause to consider setbacks, we not only recover, but we also leap forward better equipped and with greater insights.
These practices are foundational to well-being, performance, and leadership. They do not require a change in title or location. They require action and a commitment to growth.
It’s Time to Grow Where You Are
Together — informed by our personal experiences in leadership and the powerful research of both SHRM Linkage and the Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership — we are committed to optimizing talent and transforming organizations by helping leaders thrive at every stage. We want to turn potential into performance, wherever you find yourself in your career.
Because thriving is not a destination; it’s a way of being. Thriving in place is not settling; it’s activating your fullest potential from right where you are.
It is never too early or too late to shape the environment you need to thrive. And it just might start with embracing where you are. That’s why we have “partnered to meet the moment,” as Tamla says, and created the Ascend Learning Journey at the SHRM Linkage Institute, layering the concepts from Arrive and Thrive against The Institute’s proven learning model.
The Institute is an immersive, three-day leadership development experience designed to unlock potential, accelerating leaders and driving results for their organizations. The Ascend Learning Journey offers content for seasoned leaders to think beyond career advancement as a measure of growth — delivering the tools you need to further elevate performance and flourish in your current seat of influence.
Register now and ascend with us at The Institute this September.
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