Selfless by Design: A Book for the Leaders Who Refuse to Sell Out

If you’ve worked long enough, you’ve probably heard all the right leadership buzzwords—“servant leadership,” “team-first culture,” “empathy-driven management.” You’ve probably even sat through workshops or listened to town halls where executives rattled off the latest corporate fads, nodding solemnly as they assured everyone that they “put people first.”

But if you’ve really worked inside major organizations, you also know what happens behind the curtain.

So do I.

Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working with some truly great leaders—people who lived the values they preached. Some have been my supervisors, many have been my peers, but most of the great leaders I've had the honor of working with have been those that have worked for me. They led with grit, humility, and a fierce commitment to both the mission and their people. They showed up when it mattered most. They didn’t just protect the bottom line; they protected the team. They made decisions that cost them personally, but benefitted the organization long-term. I’m forever grateful to those mentors. They taught me what leadership looks like when it’s done right.

But here’s the hard truth: In far more cases, the lessons I’ve learned from top-level leadership were examples of what not to do.

I’ve seen people climb ladders by stepping on others. I’ve watched decisions get made not because they were right—but because they were safe. I’ve seen cultures crumble under the weight of leaders who cared more about pleasing their superiors than protecting their teams. These individuals knew all the right things to say in public, but when the pressure hit, they folded—choosing self-preservation over integrity.

That’s the spark that led me to write Selfless by Design.

This book is for those of us who believe leadership isn’t about image—it’s about impact. It’s for the leaders who are tired of fake authenticity and empty slogans. It’s for the ones who show up, do the hard things, and carry the weight that others avoid—not for applause, but because it’s right.

In Selfless by Design, I dive deep into what separates real leaders from those who are just chasing titles. We talk about grit. Integrity. Courage. Humility. The kind of leadership that doesn’t flinch under pressure—and doesn’t change based on who’s in the room. Each chapter closes with a historical case study—from Winston Churchill to Herb Kelleher, Nelson Mandela to Satya Nadella—real-world examples of people who led through darkness and never compromised their mission or their people.

But this isn’t just theory. It’s a call to action.

If you’ve ever been the one who stayed late to protect your team, who spoke up when others stayed quiet, who carried the moral weight so your people didn’t have to—then this book is a mirror to your own strength. And if you’ve ever struggled under weak leadership and vowed to do things differently when it was your turn—this book is your roadmap.

Because selfless leadership doesn’t mean soft leadership. It means resilient, values-driven, people-first leadership. And when it’s done right, it doesn’t just change performance. It changes culture. It changes trust. It changes lives.

Get your copy of Selfless by Design and start leading like it matters—because it does.

👉 Selfless By Design