With over 30 years of experience as an executive HR leader, Pamela Ries stands out as a visionary force driving people-centered transformation. As the Founder and CEO of THRIVE Consulting & Coaching, LLC, Pam has redefined the blueprint for organizational success, demonstrating that at the heart of every high-performing business is an empowered team and effective leadership.
Pam has a deep understanding of how to align business strategies with the people who bring them to life. Her approach is rooted in the belief that businesses that invest in their people—fostering individual and team growth while maintaining high expectations for skills, behaviors, and values—consistently outperform their peers.
Her extensive career gave her unique insight into the consulting landscape, where she identified gaps in client-focused solutions. Inspired by her entrepreneurial upbringing and a passion for meaningful impact, she founded THRIVE Consulting & Coaching. Her mission: to create a consultancy that meets clients where they are, delivering practical, tailored recommendations rather than pushing pre-packaged services.
Pam’s expertise in coaching leaders across all levels equips her to help organizations build stronger leadership pipelines. She is passionate about guiding individuals to optimize their strengths, embrace vulnerabilities, and engage in continuous personal and professional growth. Under her leadership, THRIVE is not just a consulting firm—it’s a partner in transformation, enabling businesses to harness the full potential of their people and culture.
The Shift Toward People-Centered Leadership in Emerging Leaders
Pam believes in the power of continuous learning and personal growth as a woman and leader. Her development is fueled by observing leaders she admires, reading books, listening to podcasts, attending webinars, and participating in events with insightful speakers. She also values refresh training as an executive and team coach, recognizing that staying updated and innovative is essential for welcoming speaking engagements and inspiring others. Pam holds the personal belief that learning occurs daily—about ourselves, others, and the fields we choose—helping her remain inspired and never complacent.
Reflecting on emerging leaders, Pam acknowledges a shift in focus toward people-centered leadership. She admires how some of today’s leaders have more open hearts and minds, recognizing the importance of valuing people. This contrasts with earlier generations, where leadership often centered on technical skills and achievements with a command-and-control approach. However, Pam observes that many emerging leaders enter their roles without formal leadership training, relying on intuition or mentorship, if available. While this works for some, others face steep learning curves, particularly if they were promoted based solely on technical expertise. For organizations that do not have internal resources to develop leaders, hiring a certified coach with expansive leadership experience is essential.
Pam expresses concern about the reduction in leadership development programs due to financial constraints, a trend she views as short-sighted. She emphasizes that investing in leadership development upfront saves time and money; and improves organizational effectiveness in the long term. Drawing from her own experiences, Pam recalls her first leadership position at age 26, which lacked formal training. Though her educational background was somewhat helpful, it was sheer fortitude and ingenuity that helped her succeed. Her second leadership role offered two weeks of full-time, organization-specific leadership training, underscoring the importance of such investments. While this approach may not be possible in every organization, Pam advocates for businesses to prioritize robust training programs and coaching to empower new leaders and foster long-term growth.
Values-Driven Approach to Organizational Structure
From Pam’s philosophical and values-centered viewpoint, her organization prioritizes connecting with individuals at their current state while guiding them toward fresh perspectives, methods, and growth opportunities. The emphasis lies on remaining both relevant and innovative. In terms of structure, the organization functions as a “platter” rather than a hierarchical setup, steering clear of multiple layers of researchers, principals, partners, and advisors. Instead, the approach involves recruiting outstanding talent on a gig basis for particular projects, allowing for a dynamic and customized strategy for each initiative. Culturally, the organization empowers every expert hired to excel in their work. As the founder, CEO, and principal, Pam oversees all operations, ensuring quality and alignment with the organization’s mission. At times, she also takes on the roles of key relationship manager, coach, and consultant, demonstrating her hands-on commitment to delivering exceptional results and fostering meaningful connections.
The Advantages of Owning a Business
In her role, Pam serves as the principal consultant and an executive coach, actively engaging with clients and providing oversight for projects. She works closely with both her immediate and extended teams, maintaining a small core team while leveraging a network of experts who collaborate on a fractional or gig basis for specific projects. This flexible approach enables her organization to remain dynamic, responsive, and innovative in meeting client needs.
Pam highlights the advantage of owning and operating her own business, where she can identify areas for improvement and implement changes swiftly. In the field of executive coaching, she emphasizes the importance of recognizing the value of experienced executives who transition into coaching roles. She believes these individuals bring a depth of knowledge and practical insight that enhances their coaching, without being bound by outdated practices.
Pam notes a similar need for balance in consulting. Teams overly focused on cutting edge solutions or selling the next service without operational expertise may struggle to effectively implement ideas, leading to missed opportunities. For both coaching and consulting, she advocates for a combination of education, certified skills, strategic and operational experience to ensure comprehensive and impactful service.
Balancing Flexibility and Accountability in Today’s Workforce
Pam highlights that the future of work depends on the unique needs of each company, including its culture, the roles within the organization, and the type of work being conducted. She acknowledges the critical role of collaboration both now and in the future, noting that it can be effectively achieved through virtual or in-person interactions.
Pam recognizes the desire of today’s workforce to feel part of a community while also being trusted to perform their tasks with flexibility. She stresses that flexibility does not excuse missed deadlines or subpar outcomes and that maintaining a balance is key. A hybrid approach, where employees have specific in-office days for collaboration, appears to be a successful solution from both cultural and competitive standpoints. However, the business should take a careful look at each role to determine the most appropriate solution.
From a human perspective, she points out that complete isolation is unhealthy. She advises companies operating virtually to leverage video conferencing tools, ensuring face-to-face interactions even in a digital format. She cautions against neglecting personal connections, such as conducting performance conversations without any visual interaction, as this can negatively impact both individual well-being and company culture.
Another important change that is occurring is the opportunity to hire gig workers versus the historic default that a role equals employment. More individuals are embracing the opportunity to engage in short-term gigs that offer variety and do not tie them down. Companies benefit from hiring for certain projects and initiatives instead of committing to longer-term full or part-time employment.
A Unique Approach to Leadership Development
Pam emphasizes that THRIVE Consulting & Coaching is not a typical consulting firm that claims to have all the answers. Instead, the firm believes in deeply understanding the foundation of an organization or team and building from that understanding. While they inspire innovation, they also strive to ensure that the solutions they provide are practical and can be implemented effectively after the consulting engagement ends. For clients of their coaching services, THRIVE aims to coach in a way that is sustainable, ensuring that individuals are not overly reliant on their coach. They want clients to be able to take what they’ve learned and put it into practice, long after their coaching sessions conclude.
Additionally, Pam points out that because THRIVE is a flatter, smaller organization, they can more easily address niche needs within organizations, offering tailored solutions without the added complexity of multiple layers of staff. This approach helps them avoid overextending or building unnecessary structures, focusing instead on delivering direct and impactful solutions.
Ambitious Leadership Development Goals
Pam shares that her organization has set an ambitious goal for its first five years: to make a meaningful impact on both individual leaders and organizations. The aim is to positively impact at least 100 people through individual and team coaching– helping them grow and develop into effective leaders who can navigate the complexities of their roles with confidence and clarity. Additionally, the organization plans to collaborate with at least 10 organizations through team coaching or consulting, driving collective growth, improving team dynamics, and enhancing operational success. This vision reflects Pam’s dedication to fostering leadership excellence and supporting organizations in achieving their full potential.
The Growing Role of Women in Executive Coaching
Nearly 49% of executive coaches are now women, marking a significant rise from just 40% in 2010. While this progress is encouraging, a persistent gender pay gap remains, with women leadership coaches earning less than their male counterparts. Even more concerning is the lack of diversity within the field: coaches from Black, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds collectively make up less than 13% of the executive coaching workforce, highlighting the need for greater inclusivity in this growing profession.
Pam emphasizes the importance of a good fit between the coach and the coachee. This connection is not necessarily dependent on gender or race, but rather on the ability of the coach to relate to the individual. Like many other fields, when it comes to executive coaching, she believes there is a need for more women. In a field historically dominated by men, women often must navigate the challenges of being pioneers in an industry where they have not always had the same opportunities. This makes the market for women in the industry smaller, and the path to success can be more difficult.
Turning Mistakes into Opportunities for Growth and Improvement
Pam advises individuals starting their careers to embrace a mindset of learning and growth. She acknowledges that younger professionals may not always appreciate being reminded of their limited experience but emphasizes the value of learning through practical, real-world application. She encourages early-career professionals to:
- Be Open to Learning: Understand the importance of gaining knowledge about the organization they join, how their work contributes to its goals, and the broader purpose of their role.
- Learn from Mistakes: Analyze errors or failures to identify their root causes and develop processes to avoid repeating them.
- Show Up and Work Hard: Consistently demonstrate eagerness, reliability, and a strong work ethic.
- Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection: Focus on doing their best while understanding that perfection is neither achievable nor necessary.
- Uphold Integrity: Maintain honesty and ethical behavior in all professional interactions.
Her summary is a powerful call to action: remain eager, committed, and ethical, while continuously seeking opportunities to grow and excel.
