This letter provides a recommendation for Rookie Nelson. It describes how the author first met Rookie in 2013 during a leadership training course where Rookie stood out for his insightful comments. In 2014, after being promoted to Regional HSE Manager, Rookie was tasked with rebuilding a team with poor safety metrics. Over 18 months, Rookie assembled his team, gained their trust, and improved safety metrics in the region from the worst to the best in the company, setting a new safety record. The author recommends Rookie as one of the hardest working and most effective leaders due to his focus on results, understanding of people, leadership by example, and humility.

1. May 3, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
I was first introduced to Rookie Nelson in early 2013 while conducting a training course on
Principled Leadership for strategic individuals of Patterson-UTI Drilling, LLC. In a class of 40
leaders, Rookie’s presence and engagement immediately stood out as he offered timely, adroit
comments and questions that added value to the overall class dynamic and experience.
In 2014 as a leadership consultant retained by Patterson-UTI to coach its corporate and top
regional leaders, I was paired with Rookie following his promotion to Regional Health, Safety and
Environmental (HSE) Manager for West Texas. Rookie was commissioned with managing and
rebuilding a team of 14 HSE Advisors overseeing 62 drilling rigs, comprising 1,500+ employees.
The team he inherited had the worst metrics of six regions in the U.S., and contained several
individuals who had no interest in improving.
In the 18 months that followed, Rookie assembled his team, gained their devoted followership and
took the West Texas safety metrics from worst to first in the company. Not only did West Texas
lead Patterson-UTI in safety in 2015, but the region also established a new all-time record for
TRIR (Total Recordable Incident Rate) for Patterson-UTI.
From my observations and perspective, Rookie has several key leadership and management skills
and traits that have made him so effective in leading people to achieve the highest results. First,
Rookie understands results and strives to be number one. Second, he understands people and how
to set clear expectations so that they are set up to win in their specific roles. Third, he leads by
example and he consistently holds his team members accountable for action plans. Finally, he
provides this leadership with humility, selflessness and respectfulness that continually gains
added trust, respect and performance from his people.
I have had the privilege of working with hundreds of leaders across several industries and I
heartily recommend Rookie Nelson as one of the hardest working, positive, effective leaders and
managers of teams that I have encountered. A year from now, your organization will be in a better
place due to the addition of a leader like Rookie Nelson.
Respectfully,
Pete Bryant
Senior Partner
Pete.bryant@andrewcoaching.com