What's Inside the Elevate Box
Three books that give us language for what we’re experiencing — and perspective to rise above it.
Every Elevate participant gets a box — a few physical materials we’ll reference throughout the program.
One participant recently said, “It felt like getting PR.”
Which I love.
While of our tools live in Cohd’s learning portal, some things deserve to exist on paper. There’s not always a replacement for a physical book that we can see and pick up and dog ear.
The through line between all the books we share in our Elevate box is that they give us language. They help us step back, see what’s happening from a 10,000 foot view, and take a more elevated approach.
Here’s a look at what we include and why. Consider it an invitation to explore the same ideas our Elevaters are working through.
1. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team
Patrick Lencioni
Most people can tell when something feels off in a team, but can’t always name it.
Lencioni’s framework gives us the language to do that. It unpacks how trust fuels conflict, which shapes commitment, which underpins accountability, which drives results.
Inside the book is a short team assessment — a quick gut check that highlights where things are strong and where they’re wobbly. I’ve never seen a team “green” across the board. Even the best have edges to smooth.
This model helps us zoom out and see the system. Once you can name what’s happening, you can start to make thoughtful, meaningful changes to strengthen the team dynamic.
2. Dare to Lead
Brené Brown
It probably won’t surprise anyone that Brené made the cut. Her work lives where science, story, and humanity meet.
Early in the book, she writes that aside from parenting, leading others might be the greatest test of self-awareness. She’s right. Leadership asks for courage, empathy, and honesty about who we are.
“Dare to Lead” gives language to those invisible moments — when we feel uncertain, protective, or vulnerable. It names what’s under the surface so we can move from reactivity to intention. She speaks about leadership on a personal level, and addresses the challenges we face leading others.
We can’t always control what happens, but we can always choose how we show up. That’s what it means to lead from a higher perspective.
3. The Power of TED (The Empowerment Dynamic)
David Emerald
This one’s deceptively simple — a short read that quietly changes how you see yourself and others.
Emerald outlines two systems we move through: the Drama Triangle and the Empowerment Dynamic. One drains our energy — rooted in blame, rescue, and victimhood. The other restores it — rooted in ownership, support, and creation.
The framework helps us step back and see our own operating system. Once you can name the dynamic, you can shift it. It’s a map for moving from “what’s happening to me?” to “what’s possible here?”
We spend almost two months in the program unpacking it — spotting the patterns, shifting them, and helping others do the same. Alumni often call this book the one that changed how they show up.
Each of these books helps us see more clearly — to name the unseen, understand our own patterns, and hold a broader perspective. Together, they give us the vocabulary and vantage point to move through work and life with more awareness, more intention, and more elevation.
If you’ve ever wondered what kind of learning happens inside the Elevate Program, this is a glimpse. Reflection and real-world practice, anchored in language that helps us see differently.
And if you want to start your own version of the work, these three books are a solid place to begin.
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