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The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life
In his first book, It’s Not Just Who You Know (which rose to #2 on the New York Times bestseller list), world renowned leadership speaker and former CEO of Up with People Tommy Spaulding talked about the power of building genuine and lasting relationships both personally and professionally. In his new book, The Heart-Led Leader, Spaulding turns his focus to ourselves – to who we are. Authentic leaders, Spaulding says, live and lead from the heart. The values and principles that guide our lives and shape our ability to lead others is far more important than our title, or our ability to crunch numbers, or the impressive degrees we display on our walls.
To effect true transformational change, heart-led leaders draw on the qualities of humility, vulnerability, transparency, empathy and love. Illustrated with stories from his own life, and from some of the exceptional leaders he has met and worked with over the years, Spaulding unpacks what those qualities mean, talks about the 18-inch journey from the head to the heart – from our intellect to our emotions – and shows us how to incorporate them into our careers, into how we manage and lead others, and into how we live our lives. It is a vision of leadership that has the power to transform everything we do, and the lives of everyone we touch.
From the Hardcover edition.
To effect true transformational change, heart-led leaders draw on the qualities of humility, vulnerability, transparency, empathy and love. Illustrated with stories from his own life, and from some of the exceptional leaders he has met and worked with over the years, Spaulding unpacks what those qualities mean, talks about the 18-inch journey from the head to the heart – from our intellect to our emotions – and shows us how to incorporate them into our careers, into how we manage and lead others, and into how we live our lives. It is a vision of leadership that has the power to transform everything we do, and the lives of everyone we touch.
From the Hardcover edition.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 6, 2015
67 people are currently reading
784 people want to read
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July 15, 2021
Humans are staggeringly complex systems. An incalculable number of reactions and events must occur correctly, and in proper synchronization, every moment of life for a human being to live. It is a level of complexity which for all of our science we are still unable to completely understand, and tiny variations produce all of the immense variety of unique individuals in our world. It is therefore no wonder that so much time, effort, and words have been spent in an attempt to understand how those complex individuals interact together in this chaotic organism known as society. The Heart Led Leader is another text to add to that body of literature.
While I’ve read my share of these sorts of books, and even reviewed several on the site (like The Last Lecture, or The Infinite Game), The Heart Led Leader wasn’t originally on my reading list. I had every intention of reading a new Conn Iggulden historical fiction piece after finally finishing The Divine Comedy, perhaps followed by something science fiction or fantasy, but I was invited to read this book as part of an informal book club at work, and decided to participate.
Like many of the leadership-related books that inhabit the same intellectual sphere, The Heart Led Leader’s basic premise is a concept that has existed for centuries: servant leadership. Also like many similar texts, it spends a lot of pages and words belaboring the same points and dancing around the actual topic with feel-good stories and examples, instead of directly confronting and discussing the underlying concepts and principles that these books profess to address. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a bad book – but know that this is not where you should turn if you’re looking for heavy discussions or detailed elaborations.
My problem with this book is not with the argument it is trying to make, but rather with how Spaulding goes about making the argument. The entire book is devoted to anecdotes, either personal or second-hand, and these anecdotes are the kind that are meant to tug on proverbial heart-strings (not unexpectedly) and viscerally reinforce through narrative the central argument: that leading from the heart is superior both practically and morally. Yet since I attempt to avoid logical fallacies, I found myself looking through these emotional stories, and finding that most of them left out important parts. While talking about the importance of not prioritizing achievement and the “what” in life, the stories almost exclusively featured people who had worked hard to accomplish things, and achieved positions of authority as a result. One must wonder if they had not, at some juncture, prioritized achievement and accomplishment, if they would ever have achieved a position from which they could “lead from the heart.” Yes, leadership exists at all levels and is independent of positional authority, but I could present many counter-examples where people who embodied many of the traits advocated for in this book were passed by and ignored.
The book would have been much more compelling if Spaulding, who says several times how much he likes to familiarize himself with the “rank and file” of the companies and organizations with which he interacts, had presented examples of successful heart-led leaders at levels other than CEOs and company founders. The only less high-flying examples came from his own life, and showed only specific situations, not an overall philosophy. There could have been examples of employees demonstrating servant leadership to improve their companies, instead of so many examples of top-down leadership.
I am a major proponent of servant leadership, and have read texts from multiple centuries and about figures from across the ages who exhibited those principles. The idea that the leader is ultimately the servant of the people can be defended from thoroughly practical angles. Putting it in terms of leading from the heart is just another framework, and to my mind Spaulding did not do a very rigorous job of presenting a cogent argument for his position.
If you are new to the intellectual spheres in which these kinds of books reside, then this might be a good piece with which to start. Unfortunately, if you’re already familiar with concepts of servant leadership, you probably will find little new in reading The Heart Led Leader.
While I’ve read my share of these sorts of books, and even reviewed several on the site (like The Last Lecture, or The Infinite Game), The Heart Led Leader wasn’t originally on my reading list. I had every intention of reading a new Conn Iggulden historical fiction piece after finally finishing The Divine Comedy, perhaps followed by something science fiction or fantasy, but I was invited to read this book as part of an informal book club at work, and decided to participate.
Like many of the leadership-related books that inhabit the same intellectual sphere, The Heart Led Leader’s basic premise is a concept that has existed for centuries: servant leadership. Also like many similar texts, it spends a lot of pages and words belaboring the same points and dancing around the actual topic with feel-good stories and examples, instead of directly confronting and discussing the underlying concepts and principles that these books profess to address. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a bad book – but know that this is not where you should turn if you’re looking for heavy discussions or detailed elaborations.
My problem with this book is not with the argument it is trying to make, but rather with how Spaulding goes about making the argument. The entire book is devoted to anecdotes, either personal or second-hand, and these anecdotes are the kind that are meant to tug on proverbial heart-strings (not unexpectedly) and viscerally reinforce through narrative the central argument: that leading from the heart is superior both practically and morally. Yet since I attempt to avoid logical fallacies, I found myself looking through these emotional stories, and finding that most of them left out important parts. While talking about the importance of not prioritizing achievement and the “what” in life, the stories almost exclusively featured people who had worked hard to accomplish things, and achieved positions of authority as a result. One must wonder if they had not, at some juncture, prioritized achievement and accomplishment, if they would ever have achieved a position from which they could “lead from the heart.” Yes, leadership exists at all levels and is independent of positional authority, but I could present many counter-examples where people who embodied many of the traits advocated for in this book were passed by and ignored.
The book would have been much more compelling if Spaulding, who says several times how much he likes to familiarize himself with the “rank and file” of the companies and organizations with which he interacts, had presented examples of successful heart-led leaders at levels other than CEOs and company founders. The only less high-flying examples came from his own life, and showed only specific situations, not an overall philosophy. There could have been examples of employees demonstrating servant leadership to improve their companies, instead of so many examples of top-down leadership.
I am a major proponent of servant leadership, and have read texts from multiple centuries and about figures from across the ages who exhibited those principles. The idea that the leader is ultimately the servant of the people can be defended from thoroughly practical angles. Putting it in terms of leading from the heart is just another framework, and to my mind Spaulding did not do a very rigorous job of presenting a cogent argument for his position.
If you are new to the intellectual spheres in which these kinds of books reside, then this might be a good piece with which to start. Unfortunately, if you’re already familiar with concepts of servant leadership, you probably will find little new in reading The Heart Led Leader.
March 8, 2020
My friend Chad gave me this book, and I can’t thank him enough! What an inspiring book. Tommy is a wonderful storyteller. I loved the examples for each chapter - inspirational and emotional! Everyone should read this book! Here are my take-aways and notes:
Life is an 18-inch journey - the distance from your head to your heart. It starts with some important questions: Who are you? Who do you want to become? What do you want to be known for? Who do you want to serve and impact? What is your leadership philosophy?
A heart-led leader is a Who Leader. It’s not about What but Who. It’s leading with love - with passion, commitment, compassion, being mission or purpose driven; it’s servant leadership. Love is simply an unselfish and genuine concern for the good of others. “Love can reveal itself in the simplest of ways - by giving someone hope or telling a person that he or she is important.”
The final chapter of the book, It’s Not Just Who You Know, ends with, “It’s not just who you know - it’s who you are.” Who you are goes to the very core of how you live, how you serve, and how you lead. The real meaning of life is your impact on the world. “Don’t just tell me you love me, show me.”
“Success is about building hearts, not resumes. Success fulfills us only when we focus on our passions, when we care as much about others as we do about ourselves.”
“We need to create an environment where people’s hearts and minds can thrive.”
“If you don’t understand someone’s heart, you won’t ever have full trust. And the only way to invest in someone’s heart is to show them yours.”
Heart-led leadership is acting from a place of understanding, generosity, compassion, and empathy for those you lead.
“For years we’ve been focused on the 6 inches between our ears. But the 18 inches between the head and the heart, between our intellect and our emotions, is even more important.”
“When you have a strong sense of who you are, you don’t need to define yourself by your accomplishments.” Recognize the awards, certificates, and trophies for what they are; they represent the what in our lives and not the who. They represent what we have done, not who we are. Define yourself by those you love and serve.
Humility begins and end with: “It’s not about you.”
Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Life, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
The Greek word for “passion” means “to suffer.” It almost always comes from hard work, but it never comes without joy. Passion breeds commitment, enthusiasm, and effort. A passionate belief in what you do is often the difference between success and failure.
“Heart-led leaders think in the ‘we,’ while self-serving leaders are all about the ‘me.’”
Bill Graebel, CEO of Graebel Companies, epitomizes the midwestern values of Wausau, Wisconsin - honesty, humility and strong work ethic. Bill says, “I’m interested in people. Our company is so much better off when our people feel valued.” He feels, “it’s important for leaders not only to maintain a connection to their staff and employees but also to involve as many people as possible in conversations about the business.”
“Respect the person, not the position.” Respect begins with authenticity.
John Lennon said, “It’s not what you are going to do, it’s who are you going to be.”
“When love shows up in our life, it changes us. And when we show up as love for those around us, we change them.”
“Whatever we choose to focus on will grow around us.”
“We all make excuses as to why we can’t do something. But we need to find a way to live up to the fullness of our potential.”
The West Point Cadet Prayer includes, “Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won.”
People are defined by “how they respond to adverse circumstances. It’s OK to be open, candid, and vulnerable with others. Vulnerability helps to build relationships. Your willingness to share gives others permission to open up and share in return. Everyone has a story.
You can hate the sin but love the sinner. As in Matthew West’s song “Forgiveness” - We are all capable of loving the unlovable and forgiving the unforgivable. “Those who find their way to forgiveness make room in their hearts for compassion and for the small kindnesses that lead us to acceptance, grace, and love.”
Encouragement means “to bring courage to others.” When you encourage people and show trust in them, you are giving them the courage and fortitude to go beyond their own expectations for themselves.
“There are two parts to generosity: the compassion that fuels a desire to make a difference, and the commitment that turns that compassions into action.” “We just need to seek the opportunity to give.”
“Nothing better reveals who you are more than how you give to others.”
Walt Rakowich’s, CEO of Prologis, cornerstone management style is to be “humble, honest, and human.” Humility is about having the confidence to listen and to respect the opinion of others. It’s about being vulnerable. It’s about encouraging and empowering. Honesty is about being transparent; it’s about communicating even when you don’t think you need to. “When transparency isn’t there, trust breaks down.” Being human means being genuine and caring for others. It also means emphasizing corporate responsibility and community outreach initiatives. “Leadership is not about having the answers to everything. Real leadership comes from making mistakes, showing vulnerability by admitting your mistakes and then learning from them. What most people want in a leader is someone they can relate to. People want to humanize their leaders.” Open yourself up and allow others in. Be entirely candid about the facts and willingly communicate insights about yourself and your business even when it isn’t required.
“Whatever the question, love is the answer.” You can’t truly lead people without loving them too. Put love at the center of everything you do. “When love takes center stage, the focus of your life gradually shifts from yourself, your achievements, and the things on your to-do list to the desire to impact the lives of others.”
“If we can create a culture where our people choose to impact others positively, then we will win for tomorrow.”
Life is an 18-inch journey - the distance from your head to your heart. It starts with some important questions: Who are you? Who do you want to become? What do you want to be known for? Who do you want to serve and impact? What is your leadership philosophy?
A heart-led leader is a Who Leader. It’s not about What but Who. It’s leading with love - with passion, commitment, compassion, being mission or purpose driven; it’s servant leadership. Love is simply an unselfish and genuine concern for the good of others. “Love can reveal itself in the simplest of ways - by giving someone hope or telling a person that he or she is important.”
The final chapter of the book, It’s Not Just Who You Know, ends with, “It’s not just who you know - it’s who you are.” Who you are goes to the very core of how you live, how you serve, and how you lead. The real meaning of life is your impact on the world. “Don’t just tell me you love me, show me.”
“Success is about building hearts, not resumes. Success fulfills us only when we focus on our passions, when we care as much about others as we do about ourselves.”
“We need to create an environment where people’s hearts and minds can thrive.”
“If you don’t understand someone’s heart, you won’t ever have full trust. And the only way to invest in someone’s heart is to show them yours.”
Heart-led leadership is acting from a place of understanding, generosity, compassion, and empathy for those you lead.
“For years we’ve been focused on the 6 inches between our ears. But the 18 inches between the head and the heart, between our intellect and our emotions, is even more important.”
“When you have a strong sense of who you are, you don’t need to define yourself by your accomplishments.” Recognize the awards, certificates, and trophies for what they are; they represent the what in our lives and not the who. They represent what we have done, not who we are. Define yourself by those you love and serve.
Humility begins and end with: “It’s not about you.”
Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Life, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
The Greek word for “passion” means “to suffer.” It almost always comes from hard work, but it never comes without joy. Passion breeds commitment, enthusiasm, and effort. A passionate belief in what you do is often the difference between success and failure.
“Heart-led leaders think in the ‘we,’ while self-serving leaders are all about the ‘me.’”
Bill Graebel, CEO of Graebel Companies, epitomizes the midwestern values of Wausau, Wisconsin - honesty, humility and strong work ethic. Bill says, “I’m interested in people. Our company is so much better off when our people feel valued.” He feels, “it’s important for leaders not only to maintain a connection to their staff and employees but also to involve as many people as possible in conversations about the business.”
“Respect the person, not the position.” Respect begins with authenticity.
John Lennon said, “It’s not what you are going to do, it’s who are you going to be.”
“When love shows up in our life, it changes us. And when we show up as love for those around us, we change them.”
“Whatever we choose to focus on will grow around us.”
“We all make excuses as to why we can’t do something. But we need to find a way to live up to the fullness of our potential.”
The West Point Cadet Prayer includes, “Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half-truth when the whole can be won.”
People are defined by “how they respond to adverse circumstances. It’s OK to be open, candid, and vulnerable with others. Vulnerability helps to build relationships. Your willingness to share gives others permission to open up and share in return. Everyone has a story.
You can hate the sin but love the sinner. As in Matthew West’s song “Forgiveness” - We are all capable of loving the unlovable and forgiving the unforgivable. “Those who find their way to forgiveness make room in their hearts for compassion and for the small kindnesses that lead us to acceptance, grace, and love.”
Encouragement means “to bring courage to others.” When you encourage people and show trust in them, you are giving them the courage and fortitude to go beyond their own expectations for themselves.
“There are two parts to generosity: the compassion that fuels a desire to make a difference, and the commitment that turns that compassions into action.” “We just need to seek the opportunity to give.”
“Nothing better reveals who you are more than how you give to others.”
Walt Rakowich’s, CEO of Prologis, cornerstone management style is to be “humble, honest, and human.” Humility is about having the confidence to listen and to respect the opinion of others. It’s about being vulnerable. It’s about encouraging and empowering. Honesty is about being transparent; it’s about communicating even when you don’t think you need to. “When transparency isn’t there, trust breaks down.” Being human means being genuine and caring for others. It also means emphasizing corporate responsibility and community outreach initiatives. “Leadership is not about having the answers to everything. Real leadership comes from making mistakes, showing vulnerability by admitting your mistakes and then learning from them. What most people want in a leader is someone they can relate to. People want to humanize their leaders.” Open yourself up and allow others in. Be entirely candid about the facts and willingly communicate insights about yourself and your business even when it isn’t required.
“Whatever the question, love is the answer.” You can’t truly lead people without loving them too. Put love at the center of everything you do. “When love takes center stage, the focus of your life gradually shifts from yourself, your achievements, and the things on your to-do list to the desire to impact the lives of others.”
“If we can create a culture where our people choose to impact others positively, then we will win for tomorrow.”
January 23, 2023
World renowned leadership speaker Spaulding turns his focus to ourselves - to who we are vs what we are in this newest book of his. Authentic leaders, Spaulding says, live and lead from the heart, and that we may be focusing on the wrong things within the 6 inches between our ears. The values and principles that guide our lives and shape our ability to lead others is far more important than our title, or our ability to crunch numbers, or the impressive degrees we display on our walls. To effect true transformational change, heart-led leaders draw on the qualities of humility, vulnerability, transparency, empathy and love. Filled with stories from his own life, and from some of the exceptional leaders he has met and worked with over the years, Spaulding unpacks what those qualities mean, talks about the 18-inch journey from the head to the heart - from our intellect to our emotions - and shows us how to incorporate them into our careers, into how we manage and lead others, and into how we live our lives, using those 18 inches as a guide in creating 18 principles. It is a vision of leadership that has the power to transform everything we do, and the lives of everyone we touch.
June 21, 2023
If there was ever a question of whether a leader can be consistently effective while leading from the heart, even in trying times requiring confrontation, Spaulding defeats the argument in this book. In a world of quantitative metrics as measures of success, this book is a refreshing perspective on leadership full of helpful anecdotes.
April 14, 2022
3.5 stars
January 14, 2017
I love books and am reading several at all times. I first picked this book up some time ago and honestly wasn't ready for it. I was prideful and thought I already led fully from my heart. So other books became a priority preventing me from finishing. What a big mistake!
This book is incredible. Even for those of us who have a heart for others, we don't always show it in our leadership - falsely believing that you can't have results with this style of leadership. Each story in this book teaches and in a way that impacts your heart. I found myself with tears many times while reading it. Many books invite you to more tasks or actions to grow results which are often unsustainable. This one invokes heart transformation and permission to be vulnerable, real, and bold in loving others, trusting the process and the results. We all have a story! I won't stop asking to hear others - in large part because of the impact of this book.
This book is incredible. Even for those of us who have a heart for others, we don't always show it in our leadership - falsely believing that you can't have results with this style of leadership. Each story in this book teaches and in a way that impacts your heart. I found myself with tears many times while reading it. Many books invite you to more tasks or actions to grow results which are often unsustainable. This one invokes heart transformation and permission to be vulnerable, real, and bold in loving others, trusting the process and the results. We all have a story! I won't stop asking to hear others - in large part because of the impact of this book.
June 26, 2024
Uninspirational, bordering on criminally self-helpish. It is also, not to put too fine a point on it, so self-congratulatory it borders on self-sycophancy. I promise not to use "self" as a prefix anymore after this review.
December 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book! It's full of motivational short stories that really provided insight on leadership. Many times successful people (bosses, CEOs, etc) get bad reputation for doing everything possible to achieve so-called "power". However, this book really showed how people can achieve success while maintaining integrity. What really matters is the type of person you are inside, and it is important to stay true to your heart. This is a great book to just flip through in between fiction novels to read some inspiring stories.
Thank you Blogging For Books and Random House for sending me this book! All opinions are solely my own.
Thank you Blogging For Books and Random House for sending me this book! All opinions are solely my own.
January 21, 2023
On the surface, this book highlights traits to lead from the heart. Beneath the surface, I think the author learns about his own biases against crime, the poor, and the downtrodden, and learns to dignify every human he meets—which results in an overcoming his own bias.
Nothing earth-shattering in the book. Very uplifting and a great theme…favorite concept: what heartprint do you leave on people?
Nothing earth-shattering in the book. Very uplifting and a great theme…favorite concept: what heartprint do you leave on people?
March 6, 2025
The book was okay. Nothing really stuck out to me beside a few quotes and there's no really new or profound ideas that are espoused in this book. It was a pleasant and enjoyable read. However, forgettable. It's written in very basic and plain language, making it easy to comprehend and it offers a wealth of personal anecdotes of leading with your heart. Overall, I recommend this book to somebody who's getting into leadership philosophy who is also not an avid reader.
July 31, 2024
It was ok. Good stories that can serve as inspiration.
I struggled with the privilege that the author doesn’t convincingly acknowledge with several of his examples of heart-led leadership. It also felt a little like a resume of the author.
I struggled with the privilege that the author doesn’t convincingly acknowledge with several of his examples of heart-led leadership. It also felt a little like a resume of the author.
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March 19, 2025Book Review: The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life
Author: Tommy Spaulding
Publisher: Per Capita Publishing, 2019
ISBN: 978-1942109285
In The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life, Tommy Spaulding emphasizes the transformative power of heartfelt leadership. Drawing from his personal experiences and insights accumulated over years as a leader and speaker, Spaulding presents a compelling framework that advocates for authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy as core tenets of effective leadership.
Summary of Key Themes
The Concept of Heart-Led Leadership: Spaulding defines heart-led leadership as leading with authenticity and emotional intelligence. He contends that successful leaders prioritize connections with their teams and foster an environment where individuals feel valued and motivated. The book argues that emotional connections enhance collaboration and productivity.
Personal Narratives and Lessons: The author shares personal anecdotes and stories from his professional journey, illustrating the challenges and triumphs of heart-led leadership. These narratives serve to humanize the leadership experience, showcasing the importance of vulnerability and emotional openness in building trust and rapport.
Empathy as a Leadership Tool: A central theme in Spaulding’s discourse is the power of empathy in leadership. He argues that understanding and relating to the emotions and needs of team members fosters a strong sense of loyalty and commitment. By prioritizing empathy, leaders can create a more engaged and resilient workforce.
Building Positive Workplace Culture: Spaulding emphasizes that heart-led leadership contributes to the development of a positive organizational culture. By fostering an environment rooted in trust, respect, and open communication, leaders can drive higher levels of engagement and performance among their team members.
Practical Strategies for Implementation: The book is not only theoretical but also offers practical guidance for leaders seeking to cultivate heart-led practices. Spaulding provides actionable steps and reflective exercises that encourage leaders to assess their current leadership styles and make necessary adjustments to align with heart-led principles.
Analysis
The Heart-Led Leader is a thought-provoking exploration of leadership that challenges traditional notions of authority and control. Tommy Spaulding’s engaging writing style and the use of relatable anecdotes make complex ideas accessible to a broad audience, from emerging leaders to seasoned executives. The book’s emphasis on emotional connection as a driver of organizational success is particularly timely in an era where employee well-being and engagement are increasingly prioritized.
Nevertheless, some critiques may arise regarding the scalability of heart-led leadership practices in diverse organizational contexts. While the book provides a strong argument for the efficacy of leading from the heart, it would benefit from further exploration of the challenges leaders may face in implementing these principles, particularly in high-pressure or hierarchical environments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life is an insightful contribution to the field of leadership literature. Tommy Spaulding effectively advocates for a paradigm shift towards heart-led practices that prioritize emotional intelligence and authentic connections in leadership. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to enhance their leadership style and cultivate a more positive and productive organizational culture. Spaulding’s call to embrace heart-led leadership is a powerful reminder that effective leadership is not just about results; it is also about the relationships we build and the impact we have on others.
Author: Tommy Spaulding
Publisher: Per Capita Publishing, 2019
ISBN: 978-1942109285
In The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life, Tommy Spaulding emphasizes the transformative power of heartfelt leadership. Drawing from his personal experiences and insights accumulated over years as a leader and speaker, Spaulding presents a compelling framework that advocates for authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy as core tenets of effective leadership.
Summary of Key Themes
The Concept of Heart-Led Leadership: Spaulding defines heart-led leadership as leading with authenticity and emotional intelligence. He contends that successful leaders prioritize connections with their teams and foster an environment where individuals feel valued and motivated. The book argues that emotional connections enhance collaboration and productivity.
Personal Narratives and Lessons: The author shares personal anecdotes and stories from his professional journey, illustrating the challenges and triumphs of heart-led leadership. These narratives serve to humanize the leadership experience, showcasing the importance of vulnerability and emotional openness in building trust and rapport.
Empathy as a Leadership Tool: A central theme in Spaulding’s discourse is the power of empathy in leadership. He argues that understanding and relating to the emotions and needs of team members fosters a strong sense of loyalty and commitment. By prioritizing empathy, leaders can create a more engaged and resilient workforce.
Building Positive Workplace Culture: Spaulding emphasizes that heart-led leadership contributes to the development of a positive organizational culture. By fostering an environment rooted in trust, respect, and open communication, leaders can drive higher levels of engagement and performance among their team members.
Practical Strategies for Implementation: The book is not only theoretical but also offers practical guidance for leaders seeking to cultivate heart-led practices. Spaulding provides actionable steps and reflective exercises that encourage leaders to assess their current leadership styles and make necessary adjustments to align with heart-led principles.
Analysis
The Heart-Led Leader is a thought-provoking exploration of leadership that challenges traditional notions of authority and control. Tommy Spaulding’s engaging writing style and the use of relatable anecdotes make complex ideas accessible to a broad audience, from emerging leaders to seasoned executives. The book’s emphasis on emotional connection as a driver of organizational success is particularly timely in an era where employee well-being and engagement are increasingly prioritized.
Nevertheless, some critiques may arise regarding the scalability of heart-led leadership practices in diverse organizational contexts. While the book provides a strong argument for the efficacy of leading from the heart, it would benefit from further exploration of the challenges leaders may face in implementing these principles, particularly in high-pressure or hierarchical environments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life is an insightful contribution to the field of leadership literature. Tommy Spaulding effectively advocates for a paradigm shift towards heart-led practices that prioritize emotional intelligence and authentic connections in leadership. This book is essential reading for anyone seeking to enhance their leadership style and cultivate a more positive and productive organizational culture. Spaulding’s call to embrace heart-led leadership is a powerful reminder that effective leadership is not just about results; it is also about the relationships we build and the impact we have on others.
December 9, 2023
Spaulding writes like a public speaker. You can hear the emotion in his words and his phrasing glides off the page smoothly and rhythmically. His stories are vivid and captures the inches of the 18-inch journey well. I enjoyed speculating what the theme of the inch would be as my heart was either warmed or broken by his story-telling. I'll readily admit the tears welled up in my eyes multiple times as I read the book. His idea of "From What to Who" is similar to Sinek's ideas of "People don't by what you make, they buy who you are." Our world is desperate for authenticity and principled leaders who are firm in their values and don't waiver in their application of them. We need leaders who don't act in self-interest or self-preservation, but rather serve their people. None of his inches are new, revolutionary, or groundbreaking - love, humility, caring, passion, selflessness, authenticity, self-awareness, faithfulness, character, vulnerability, forgiveness, purpose, encouragement, empathy, generosity, honesty, trust, and transparency. These principles are echoed by Sinek, Covey, Blount, Goleman, Blanchard, Willink, and so many more. The beauty of Spaulding's work is in his sharing of the principles in action. He begins with the story and then reveals that principle as a central piece to the story's theme. None of these are easy and Tommy doesn't spend much time talking about how to put them into practice bur rather focuses on illustrating how important they are. But if you need help putting them into practice, I'd recommend Covey.
April 6, 2023
Excellent thoughts about leading others from the heart by loving them. Spaulding expounds upon achieving “love-driven” results by forming meaningful relationships with those we lead in whatever capacity that might be whether at work, in volunteer positions, or in the home. I found his advice to be applicable in so many of my relationships with others, especially in my home with my family members and in the classroom. Fantastic read.
November 10, 2021
A truly inspiring book addressing a way of leading that most people seem to disregard out of hand. Mr. Spaulding provides concrete examples of how leading from the heart with love can make a difference in our organizations and lives simultaneously. Well worth the time investment to read and put into action in your life in some way.
March 6, 2023
Loved it. I enjoy professional development books in all forms but this one was good because he shared stories. it wasn't a biography or real- time story but carefully chosen experiences. (Some will make you cry). It reinforces empathy and vulnerability are characteristics leaders need but they are NOT to be mistaken for weakness or gullibility.
April 23, 2025
I felt like the author took good examples of leadership and called them "heart led." While I appreciated the motivational stories, I didn't feel like this was different from any other leadership book I have read. I agree with the premise of a heart led leader; I just don't feel like calling yourself one makes it so.
December 11, 2018
I really liked the book. It's engaging and full of stories. Every leader should read this book to understand how important it is to show heart to your peers. It's not the typical leadership book, which is really refreshing.
December 20, 2020
Outstanding and inspiring book. My Grad Assistant recommended this book and now we are reading it with our Fraternity/Sorority Life leaders and advisors as a book club discussion during our annual officer retreat.
December 25, 2017
A must read
There are great lessons in the powerful stories Tommy tells. It is a refreshing take on how to be a leader.
There are great lessons in the powerful stories Tommy tells. It is a refreshing take on how to be a leader.
November 3, 2018
The 18 inches from one's heart to head can make all the difference in the world. It wouldn't hurt to have some of our current leaders read this book.
October 4, 2020
Inspiring.
February 18, 2021
Great book. Did not like the last story as much. Inspirational. Great concepts to keep in mind. Everyone is a leader you don’t have to have a title.
February 26, 2021
Inspirational read that motivates people using stories of different people from all different walks of life and lines of work.
January 14, 2022
Very touching book with a lot of amazing stories.
February 3, 2022
Good concept, though tied to Brené Brown's philosophy of vulnerability.
June 20, 2022
This was a quick read, but offers a lot of really good points for leaders. I try to follow this same leadership style, but could always do better.
August 2, 2022
“Whatever the question, love is the answer. The truth is, you can’t truly lead people without loving them, too. And people will always know the difference.”
Want to read
April 8, 2023to-read
September 7, 2023
Great book. Loved the teachings of servant leadership and really leading with your heart and he had some wonderful examples.
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