Academic Leadership

When Mark and Gus first met, they had no way of knowing they would one day be the owners of the largest home service company in Dallas–Fort Worth! From the onset of their first meeting, these two men knew they were part of something unique, something bigger, something they hope can be an example for others. Discover the elements they put in place to create a company that works not just for its customers but for its team members and its community.

Ten years of riding the startup waves forced Helaine Knapp to develop grit, determination, resilience, creative problem solving, deep interpersonal skills, and her own unique leadership style. Now, she's ready to show other women how they can do the same. With Making Waves, Helaine inspires and speaks to women who want to start something new and change their lives. If she can do it, so can they.

Candid conversations with top leaders around the world on how they approached pivotal moments in their careers.

Leigh Perkins bought Orvis in 1965 and over the next thirty years would revolutionize the catalog industry as he successfully blended his love for the outdoors with his business acumen. A Sportsman's Life is the story of a man, his company, and his love of the outdoors, his commitment to conservation, and his infectious enthusiasm for the good life.

The path to your best opportunity is not a straight line - there are many twists and turns, ups and downs. The Walker family story is an inspiring and candid journey from rural farming to manufacturing and the lessons learned along the way. The founder’s son, Bob Walker, shows how faith in God and godly wisdom provide a sure foundation for starting and operating a successful business - along with courage, the willingness to take risks, and a tenacious dream to remain independent.

Steven Mandis charts the evolution of Goldman Sachs from an ethical standard to a legal one and uncovers the forces behind what he calls Goldman's "organizational drift". Drawing from his firsthand experience; sociological research; analysis of SEC, congressional, and other filings; and a wide array of interviews with former clients, detractors, and current and former partners, Mandis exposes the pressures that forced Goldman to slowly drift away from the very principles on which its reputation was built.

In Liftoff, Eric Berger takes listeners inside the wild early days that made SpaceX. Focusing on the company’s first four launches of the Falcon 1 rocket, he charts the bumpy journey from scrappy underdog to aerospace pioneer, drawing upon exclusive interviews with dozens of former and current engineers, designers, mechanics and executives, including Elon Musk. The enigmatic Musk, who founded the company with the dream of one day settling Mars, is the fuel that propels the book, with his daring vision for the future of space.

Individuals, teams, and organizations must become more resilient in today’s complex world, and each one will experience failure at some point. Successful individuals, teams, and organizations bounce back. Winning After Losing: Building Resilient Teams offers a collection of lessons on leadership and resilience of winning teams. I am writing this book as a retired US Army three-star general and as the former chief operating officer of a public biotechnology company.

Ever wondered what it takes to rise from near-death to extraordinary success? This book is for anyone looking for inspiration, resilience, and powerful business insights. Uncover the dual journey of Antonio Iozzo, who battled addiction while rising as a visionary leader, providing you with the strength to overcome your own challenges. Get inside the mind of a CEO managing a multibillion-rand empire while facing a crippling addiction, so you can apply these lessons to your personal and professional life.

Many think that a start-up needs to raise millions of dollars from investors to create a big and successful business. Or that a business owner needs to hire employees as fast as they can. That’s just simply not true. In Bootstrapped to Millions, you’ll explore numerous ways to build a business that continues to grow year after year without needing to hire employees or pour your hard-earned profit back into the business. Starting a business today has never been easier, but it takes focus, determination, and a clear vision to create a successful business.

Reed Hastings is one of the world's foremost business leaders. As co-founder, chairman and CEO of Netflix, he has built one of the largest media and entertainment companies on the planet, with an estimated personal net worth of $3.6 billion. A notable philanthropist, he has served on the boards of Facebook, Microsoft and a number of non-profit organisations. This concise but detailed biography provides an overview of Hastings' career trajectory, providing insights into his success.

In “The Trail to Success: A City Manager on Leadership, Management, and Civic Empowerment" Howard W. Brown Jr. shares his inspiring journey from a first generation college student to one of the youngest and few Black city managers in the nation. This memoir is not just a chronicle of Brown's rise, but also a candid account of the challenges he faced along the way. From a youthful marriage and subsequent divorce, raising two children, financial struggles, multiple relocations, to the relentless scrutiny of the media, Brown's journey was far from easy.

In What They Didn’t Tell Me, Jawad has translated the feedback he got and the lessons he learned along the way into actionable advice for leaders at every level. Drawing on his remarkable story, Jawad shows how charting your own course not only changes how others view you - it changes how you view yourself. If you’re ready to become a resilient leader at the helm of a high-performing team, this book is for you.

In 1990, IBM had its most profitable year ever. By 1993, the company was on a watch list for extinction, victimized by its own lumbering size, an insular corporate culture, and the PC era IBM had itself helped invent.

The first book, The Confidence Factor for Women in Business, became an international best seller. Conversations with Women CEOs & Leaders includes personal and professional stories from leaders. Listeners will understand the obstacles that all women face in their journey, including Carol's journey breaking through the boundaries of women in real estate investing.

In September 2012, a YouGov poll conducted in Britain found that the person British workers would most like as their manager was Sir Richard Branson. With over 40 years in business, Richard Branson is an inspiring pioneer of humanitarian projects and an iconic business leader. In The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead, Richard shares and distils his secrets of leadership and success.

Twenty years after creating the phenomenal best-selling classic The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard returns to its roots with the most powerful and essential title in the series as he explores the skills needed to empower yourself to success. In this captivating business parable, best-selling author Ken Blanchard tells the story of Steve, a young advertising executive who is about to lose his job.

Fiorina shares the lessons she's learned from both her difficulties and triumphs. Drawing on her experience as a pioneering business and nonprofit leader, a politically active citizen, and a parent, she diagnoses the largest problem facing our country today: untapped potential. Too often American men and women are held back by systems that prevent them from working and flourishing. Too many people lose hope for themselves.

ESPN's rise is one of the most remarkable stories about business and sports in our time, and nobody can tell it better than George Bodenheimer. It may be hard to believe, but not long ago, getting sports updates was difficult and frustrating. ESPN changed everything. George Bodenheimer knows. Initially hired to work in the mailroom, one of Bodenheimer's first jobs was to pick up sportscaster Dick Vitale at the Hartford airport and drive him to ESPN's main campus - a couple of trailers in a dirt parking lot. But as ESPN grew, so did George's status in the company.

Richard Browning’s story is one of groundbreaking innovation. Building an aviation business from his garage, he has invented a whole new form of personal flight - a fantasy previously reserved for the pages of science fiction. His iconic jet suit has captured the imaginations of millions around the world, triggered ongoing developments in technology and engineering, and inspired a new generation of creative minds to pursue their dreams.