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The Gift of Struggle: Life-Changing Lessons About Leading
Every leader has stories about the challenges they have faced and struggles they have overcome. In the moment, those situations require strength, patience, perseverance and courage. With time, those struggles provide us lessons for how to be better leaders. Bobby Herrera learned to see those struggles as gifts. As the co-founder and CEO of Populus Group, Bobby never imagined the challenges of building a $500 million organization that serves tens of thousands of people. Throughout his life, he experienced the divergence between the intentional leader he wanted to be, and the less engaged version of him that showed up at the office every day. One day at a company meeting, he decided to share a story about one of his first struggles as a young adult. That story, a pivotal experience that had transformed Bobby's life, inspired his employees with its radical transparency, humility and the idealism of Bobby's dreams for the company. In The Gift of Struggle , Bobby shares twelve of those stories from his leadership journey. Each chapter shares the details of the story, the broader lesson any leader can apply, a set of questions to reflect on, and an afterword for how the story later unfolded in Bobby's life. Building on Bobby's efforts, this book inspires readers to find their own stories, share their gifts of struggle with others, and become the leader they imagine they can be.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
61 people are currently reading
740 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 3, 2019
CEO of Populus Group, Bobby Herrera has had his struggles. Growing up in a Mexican migrant worker family, he was not unfamiliar with long hours and difficult times. In school for six months of the year and then traveling to work in the fields to provide food for the people in this country for the next six months, without getting the recognition, Bobby felt socially invisible. Unable to spend money like the other kids, Bobby and his brother did their best to fit in but knew they were different. Once he was in the army at 18, fulfilling his father’s lifelong dream, he realized how his difficult lifestyle had prepared him for military training. Looking back at his upbringing he felt great appreciation for his parents and all they did for him, and he understood that struggle gave him a gift.
Through charming personal anecdotes, Bobby talks about his ongoing leadership journey and the lessons he has learned. From exploring his own identity, to being aware of how much to give and take with colleagues, bosses and underlings, to choosing where and how he wanted to make an impact, Bobby tells his stories and encourages us to think about our own leadership styles. Each chapter ends with Questions to Guide Your Journey, allowing you to think about how you respond to different situations and how you might be able to change your thinking and behavior, and venture off the beaten path to improve outcomes.
This is an easy to read, engaging, and thought provoking little book, great for anyone in a leadership position. Whether you are the CEO, middle management, a parent, or recently entering the workforce, there are lessons to be learned and Bobby Herrera can help guide you on your journey. For me, as a reader, one of the best things he says is “the best leaders are always learning” and “books are the greatest resource I can recommend to you”. Bobby has a special shelf he calls “Bible Row” where he keeps his books that guide him, revisiting them often. They make him ask better and bigger questions and make him think. I believe The Gift of Struggle: Life Changing Lessons About Leading deserves a place on everyone’s shelf. How we look at who we are and where we came from, no matter where that might be, can impact how we are treated, how we choose to treat others, and our level of success. I enjoyed this one.
The Gift of Struggle is for everyone, and it makes a great father’s day gift!
Through charming personal anecdotes, Bobby talks about his ongoing leadership journey and the lessons he has learned. From exploring his own identity, to being aware of how much to give and take with colleagues, bosses and underlings, to choosing where and how he wanted to make an impact, Bobby tells his stories and encourages us to think about our own leadership styles. Each chapter ends with Questions to Guide Your Journey, allowing you to think about how you respond to different situations and how you might be able to change your thinking and behavior, and venture off the beaten path to improve outcomes.
This is an easy to read, engaging, and thought provoking little book, great for anyone in a leadership position. Whether you are the CEO, middle management, a parent, or recently entering the workforce, there are lessons to be learned and Bobby Herrera can help guide you on your journey. For me, as a reader, one of the best things he says is “the best leaders are always learning” and “books are the greatest resource I can recommend to you”. Bobby has a special shelf he calls “Bible Row” where he keeps his books that guide him, revisiting them often. They make him ask better and bigger questions and make him think. I believe The Gift of Struggle: Life Changing Lessons About Leading deserves a place on everyone’s shelf. How we look at who we are and where we came from, no matter where that might be, can impact how we are treated, how we choose to treat others, and our level of success. I enjoyed this one.
The Gift of Struggle is for everyone, and it makes a great father’s day gift!
July 14, 2019
Very well written. I never had read struggle as a gift to discover new things in life though I had inherently believed in it. This book is a wonderful read to simplify the thoughts of a leader. Urge you to pick a copy to enjoy it.
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June 11, 2019CEO of Populus Group, Bobby Herrera has had his struggles. Growing up in a Mexican migrant worker family, he was not unfamiliar with long hours and difficult times. In school for six months of the year and then traveling to work in the fields to provide food for the people in this country for the next six months, without getting the recognition, Bobby felt socially invisible. Unable to spend money like the other kids, Bobby and his brother did their best to fit in but knew they were different. Once he was in the army at 18, fulfilling his father’s lifelong dream, he realized how his difficult lifestyle had prepared him for military training. Looking back at his upbringing he felt great appreciation for his parents and all they did for him, and he understood that struggle gave him a gift.
Through charming personal anecdotes, Bobby talks about his ongoing leadership journey and the lessons he has learned. From exploring his own identity to being aware of how much to give and take with colleagues, bosses and underlings, to choosing where and how he wanted to make an impact, Bobby tells his stories and encourages us to think about our own leadership styles. Each chapter ends with “Questions to Guide Your Journey,” allowing you to think about how you respond to different situations and how you might be able to change your thinking and behavior, and venture off the beaten path to improve outcomes.
The rest of our review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/hear-fro...
Through charming personal anecdotes, Bobby talks about his ongoing leadership journey and the lessons he has learned. From exploring his own identity to being aware of how much to give and take with colleagues, bosses and underlings, to choosing where and how he wanted to make an impact, Bobby tells his stories and encourages us to think about our own leadership styles. Each chapter ends with “Questions to Guide Your Journey,” allowing you to think about how you respond to different situations and how you might be able to change your thinking and behavior, and venture off the beaten path to improve outcomes.
The rest of our review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/hear-fro...
June 5, 2019
Bobby's voyage as a leader has been one with many struggles along the way, from his youth spent as a Migrant worker with his family through his military career and into his professional career where he had many setbacks working his way up in a large corporation to starting and growing his own company. His story telling ability makes this an easy read and gives you an front row seat as he grows as a person and leader.
His "Questions to guide your journey" give you a reference point to keep your leadership journey in the right direction and allow for self reflection to make sure you are applying your owns "gifts" to your growth.
This book is a true gift to me and will go on my own "Bible Row"!!!
His "Questions to guide your journey" give you a reference point to keep your leadership journey in the right direction and allow for self reflection to make sure you are applying your owns "gifts" to your growth.
This book is a true gift to me and will go on my own "Bible Row"!!!
March 18, 2024
This book was right on time
I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues that sort erupted all at once, while trying to lead a team on my small business, and was failing. This book (along with therapy!) provided some much-needed perspective on how to transform that and use it in my favor. I took a lot of notes and made a bunch of highlights to refer back to and am looking forward to utilyzing what I learned here.
I have been dealing with a lot of personal issues that sort erupted all at once, while trying to lead a team on my small business, and was failing. This book (along with therapy!) provided some much-needed perspective on how to transform that and use it in my favor. I took a lot of notes and made a bunch of highlights to refer back to and am looking forward to utilyzing what I learned here.
October 15, 2019
A short, but powerful read, that reminds us that every leader struggles and within those struggles are gifts we can use to become better leaders. This is one book that anyone who is a leader or wishes to become a leader, must add to their library and refer too often.
May 27, 2020
Last year I went out to buy personal growth books because I had focused more in reading fiction and so, I was looking through the shelves and found "The Gift of Struggle". I can say that it captured my attention real quick because it was not the conventional book, not only because of the size but because of the content. I could see that it was very straightforward and simple so let me tell you i had to buy it.
This book was written by the CEO of Populus Group, Bobby Herrera. He writes about his life experiences, good and bad, giving his point of view and how he has approached the struggles and how used them to become the leader he is now. Growing up in a Mexican immigrant family he was tough the value of hard work and that is what helped him boost his life and my others working with him. He is considered a great leader because of his ways and that is why I can say this book regardless of how short it is, it contains a great message in it. It has tough me that every leader will encounter struggles in the way but what we have to see is that behind those struggles there is a message and a learning that will help you grow not only in the sense of leader but as person.
Never did i imagine that this book could help me see with clearer eyes every single struggle I am facing or had faced before. I was shocked on how a person with his background living in todays society, has accomplished so much. The experiences this book contained were very relatable, even though I hadn't experienced them like he did, the stories were told so truthfully that I could still relate with problems I am facing now. Also each chapter ends with "Questions to Guide your Journey", I loved this because it was like a time of reflection to see now only how you would apply it but help you see with clear eyes the message each chapter was trying to convey.
Having all of that said, I would totally recommend this book to anyone who want to read it. A straight to the point book that lets you know you are not alone, you are not alone in this journey and there are so many ways to overcome and get the best out of any struggle you may be facing, and as Bobby said "Struggle is the currency of progress."
This book was written by the CEO of Populus Group, Bobby Herrera. He writes about his life experiences, good and bad, giving his point of view and how he has approached the struggles and how used them to become the leader he is now. Growing up in a Mexican immigrant family he was tough the value of hard work and that is what helped him boost his life and my others working with him. He is considered a great leader because of his ways and that is why I can say this book regardless of how short it is, it contains a great message in it. It has tough me that every leader will encounter struggles in the way but what we have to see is that behind those struggles there is a message and a learning that will help you grow not only in the sense of leader but as person.
Never did i imagine that this book could help me see with clearer eyes every single struggle I am facing or had faced before. I was shocked on how a person with his background living in todays society, has accomplished so much. The experiences this book contained were very relatable, even though I hadn't experienced them like he did, the stories were told so truthfully that I could still relate with problems I am facing now. Also each chapter ends with "Questions to Guide your Journey", I loved this because it was like a time of reflection to see now only how you would apply it but help you see with clear eyes the message each chapter was trying to convey.
Having all of that said, I would totally recommend this book to anyone who want to read it. A straight to the point book that lets you know you are not alone, you are not alone in this journey and there are so many ways to overcome and get the best out of any struggle you may be facing, and as Bobby said "Struggle is the currency of progress."
July 3, 2019
Co-founder and president of Populus Group, Bobby Herrera, shares stories and leadership anecdotes in this quick, warm and candid book that aims to teach us that our struggles help us become more authentic leaders. Having grown up in a small town in New Mexico and being an Army veteran, Herrera is no stranger to challenges and the value of hard work. His central premise is this: Only by embracing and analyzing the challenges we face can we hope to be a better leader.
This book reads like a memoir with sprinkles of insight rather than a how-to manual. By sharing personal stories, the book becomes more meaningful and intimate and you're likely to appreciate how Herrera chooses to re-frame hardships so as to learn something from them. One of the most valuable parts of the book are the self-reflective questions at the end of the chapters. They ask you to think about who you are, what you're doing, and what you want to become. There's no doubt that by reflecting and being honest with yourself, these "Questions to Guide Your Journey" can inspire meaningful change.
This book affirms those of us who recognize that leaders are life-long learners who have to reinvent themselves and change with the times. The insights gleamed from this book are specific to Herrera's experiences, so if you can't relate or don't work in a similar environment--or share a similar background--this one might not be as valuable to you as you might like. Regardless, it teaches us that being true to ourselves is of the utmost importance, and that's something everyone can afford to learn.
This book reads like a memoir with sprinkles of insight rather than a how-to manual. By sharing personal stories, the book becomes more meaningful and intimate and you're likely to appreciate how Herrera chooses to re-frame hardships so as to learn something from them. One of the most valuable parts of the book are the self-reflective questions at the end of the chapters. They ask you to think about who you are, what you're doing, and what you want to become. There's no doubt that by reflecting and being honest with yourself, these "Questions to Guide Your Journey" can inspire meaningful change.
This book affirms those of us who recognize that leaders are life-long learners who have to reinvent themselves and change with the times. The insights gleamed from this book are specific to Herrera's experiences, so if you can't relate or don't work in a similar environment--or share a similar background--this one might not be as valuable to you as you might like. Regardless, it teaches us that being true to ourselves is of the utmost importance, and that's something everyone can afford to learn.
June 7, 2019
Wow is all I can say! A great book that everyone can relate to regardless of their occupation. Earlier this year I was at a conference for work, I’m a teacher. There were 400+ employees at this conference. The presenter asked all the leaders in the room to stand up. All the administrators stood up but only a hand full of teachers stood up. The presenter said that we should all stand because we are all leaders. I think that’s how many of us are wired, if we aren’t in a supervisory position, we don’t consider ourselves leaders, but we are leaders. This book is so relatable because he ties his personal experiences with leadership roles and how he used his struggles to better his company and himself as a leader. The layout is so beneficial. At the end of the chapter, he poses questions that we can apply in our personal situation to help us become better leaders. I loved that sharing his personal experiences helped him develop better relationships with his employees, it’s the same for teachers. People want someone who can empathize with their situation because most of us have encountered a hardship. An outstanding read, I can’t wait to share with my boys!
July 6, 2019
Simple, to the point, easy to read and truthful are the ways I would describe “The Gift of Struggle” by Bobby Herrera. I appreciated his honesty in his journey as an aspiring leader, willingness to share and be vulnerable in a way that teaches the lesson that we do learn from our struggles. Each of us has our moments, from his bus moment on he shares honestly and you learn his motivations. I took this particularly to heart as I realize I need to be more vulnerable. The other lesson that stuck was going off the beaten path and not feeling such a need of approval from others to be willing to take the risk. Many good lessons and I truly appreciate the sharing of his “bible row.” It’s nice to read a leadership book where a leader admits to failures, mistakes and is able to show humility and share that it’s an imperfect journey and can stress growth and failing forward. I bought into it, felt and believed it. Great read and on a side note , I thank you Mr. Herrera for your service to our country.
July 10, 2019
In The Gift of Struggle, Bobby Herrera does an exceptional job of engaging the reader with real stories from his life, while balancing the narrative with shared wisdom and practical methods to help the reader implement the content and teachings into their life/role as a leader. I feel that the "Questions to Guide Your Journey" at the end of each chapter are a very effective way to not only summarize the message of the chapter, but also to provide the reader with a platform to put the lessons into practice. This is a great book for new leaders that might be struggling to connect with their teams as well as experienced leaders that are a bit "stuck" as the message and lessons can be applied to anybody that has ever struggled in life, which is all of us!
October 28, 2020
I dare you to read the first three pages of this book, and put it down, assuming you won’t want to read it or gain from it.
Bobby Herrera is a successful business leader who has experienced struggle. He shares many of those struggles in this book that is part autobiography, part leadership textbook, and part a treatise on story telling. If you like reading in any of those areas, you need to read this book.
The book is short, as will be this recommendation.
Read more...
Bobby Herrera is a successful business leader who has experienced struggle. He shares many of those struggles in this book that is part autobiography, part leadership textbook, and part a treatise on story telling. If you like reading in any of those areas, you need to read this book.
The book is short, as will be this recommendation.
Read more...
June 10, 2019
I received my copy of The Gift of Struggle as an unexpected and wonderful gift. I dove in and found myself unable to put the book down. I’ve written in the margins, underlined passages and dog eared more pages than I’m comfortable admitting.
The stories shared by Bobby Herrera are relatable, even in their differences. The magic is in the applicable lessons he shares in the form of “the gift” at the end of each chapter.
I’ve put an order for 30 more copies to give to my network. It belongs in your library. Buy one for yourself, and one to give as a gift.
May 29, 2021
Excellent audio delivery by the author like having a friendly discussion with someone. Key takeaways for me are embrace the struggles of life, lead by example, overcome people becoming divided and get your teams to work together in alignment of goals, providing examples of service based leadership to your team and families. Always be learning. I really enjoyed his Military experience helping me better understand my struggles in serving in a new way. I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to improve their own lives and teams.
August 14, 2021
A quick and engaging guide to building yourself into a better leader. Herrera does a great job in guiding the reader through the process by posing questions at the end of each question to assist the reader in applying the information from the book to their own life. As Herrera states many times in the book, you only truly improve when you apply what you learn from a book like this in your own life. I look forward to coming back to this book and continuing to ask myself the same questions in order to become a better leader in my own life.
January 8, 2022
This is a really quick read with great reminders of important leadership lessons. Struggles breed resilience, strength, and confidence, but it’s not always easy to see that when you’re in the midst of them. I appreciated his caution to want more FOR your people than you want FROM your people, and the encouragement to favor GO commands (do this) over STOP commands (don’t do that). He also raises an interesting point that resourcefulness and risk-taking require courage, and the rituals, routines and rewards can be an enabler or inhibitor.
June 11, 2019
This book was very inspiring to me! I’m the youngest of my siblings and I have had my own struggles and I am on my journey to become successful, as I read this book I realized that I am not alone and everyone struggles. It’s about how you turn those struggles into a positive lesson in life! Having a positive attitude about everything can change how you achieve your success and how you achieve any goals you have set for yourself. Amazing read!
January 7, 2024
An inspiring book discussing how even the darkest moments in our lives can lead to self-growth. Herrera is a master storyteller who shows vulnerability throughout his story. Coming from a migrant farm worker family, being one of 13 children, Herrera humbly talks about his journey to become a CEO of a multi-million dollar company. Overall this was a good book, however, some of the story is forgettable.
November 6, 2019
I liked the simplicity and organization of the book. Using his own struggles in life, the author shows the lessons he was able to extract from these struggles. The way he put it in the book allows everyone to fast learn that every struggle we pass through in life has a lesson we must identify and use in our favor and construct a better self.
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January 2, 2021So true, and so often overlooked. The struggles of life are the very things that make or break you. For those who overcome, you are made better for the struggle. For those who never do, they never realize that God allows struggling to "prove" us, like an engineer tests steel to ensure it will hold when the pressure rises.
April 27, 2021
The small book is one now one of my gifts to a new leader. The framework and ideological aspects around mentoring alone are foundational. Some of the leadership analogies and storytelling was down to earth, and that ends of being this books power. It isn't a how to book, it's a how it is, and here's what happened to me. Great stuff when pitted with resistance...which is all the time.
July 12, 2021
This book took me about 6 months to complete. Not because it was a difficult read but because it was something I wanted to think about. Those who know me know that I desire to be a good leader in many things. This was a practical book about how to have the same priorities and be in the same team. Sometimes this is easier said then done but what a great thing to strive for.
February 9, 2025
This was an easy and quick read from Bobby Herrera, who happens to be from the same county in NM where I grew and have lived most of my life. It was refreshing to read about someone who seems to have a similar leadership philosophy to what I aspire to be in my leadership journey. Fast but profound book on leadership.
June 10, 2019
All hail the underdogs! Thank you for the great stories Bobby and sharing the experiences and life-lesson's of a CEO. Once I picked up your book I didn't put it down until I finished. I will take your advice and apply it in my own young professional career.
June 27, 2019
The Gift of Struggle is a fantastic and inspirational book. A captivating read about the path of leadership and lessons that can be applied personally and professionally. The Gift of Struggle really helps put the challenges life can throw at you in perspective.
March 10, 2020
Short, good book. It's a series of struggles the author has experienced that shaped him into a better leader (hard times put on him and mistakes he's made). The stories are very well written and the lessons are classic. Nothing truly new, but it's well said.
October 28, 2024
I love it when people who actually lead companies and do what they say to to do follow through in real life. This book is written by someone who walks the walk and is trying to guide you into understanding how they have been successful and how they lead. Good stuff.
April 13, 2025
The Gift of Struggle offers a few valuable insights, but the standout message is to be thoughtful and selective in what you apply as a leader. Not every lesson fits every context, and that nuance was the book’s most practical and memorable takeaway.
June 29, 2019
Quick read, great advice about being a good leader at work.
July 9, 2019
Read in one sitting, hard to put down. Straightforward, simple precepts of someone who has lived them out. Definitely some nuggets in here to put into practice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews