Why am I passionate about this?

In 2014, I was laid off from my management role at Lowe’s Home Improvement. Instead of starting another job, I took several months to reflect on my leadership experiences and researched how leadership has evolved in the 21st Century. Based on a detailed analysis of 14 books, including the five I recommend, I wrote my first book that explains how to practice 21st-century leadership (now in its second edition). After publishing, I’ve written another leadership book, several blogs, and have been a keynote speaker. I now host the Unlabeled Leadership Podcast, which helps listeners learn how everyday people practice leadership.


I wrote

Nine Practices of 21st Century Leadership: A Guide for Inspiring Creativity, Innovation, and Engagement

By Gary DePaul,

Book cover of Nine Practices of 21st Century Leadership: A Guide for Inspiring Creativity, Innovation, and Engagement

What is my book about?

Feeling stuck in the outdated traditional leadership rut that doesn’t work in an era of quiet resignation? This book by…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy

Gary DePaul Why did I love this book?

If you are like me and want to figure out how to help your team become unstuck, you are not alone!

Through his real-life journey, you’ll discover how Captain Abrashoff transformed the crew of the USS Benfold from being low in morale and underperforming to one of the most engaged and high-performing crew in the Navy! I found his story impressively illustrates behaviors that anyone can adopt to build a team’s culture.

After reading the book, I had the privilege of meeting Abrashoff and hearing him talk about his Navy experience, which exemplified the value of his book even more. Abrashoff’s examples and stories can be your call to action that helps you transform a group of employees into a high-performing team!

By Michael Abrashoff,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked It's Your Ship as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The story of Captain D. Michael Abrashoff and his command of USS Benfold has become legendary inside and outside the Navy. Now Abrashoff offers this fascinating tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas. When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, a ship armed with every cutting-edge system available, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within…


Book cover of The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership

Gary DePaul Why did I love this book?

Servant leadership is about acting with humility while empowering others. Nothing illustrates this better than James C. Hunter's book.

Through a fable about a fictional character, John Daily, you envision how a struggling manager learns ten key principles of servant leadership with the help of his mentor and guide. In addition to his fable, I found Hunter’s introduction to the 2012 edition to be an authoritative explanation of servant leadership and a call to action. The introduction alone is worth reading this book!

I urge you to deliberately give up outdated leadership models and embrace servant leadership, a philosophy that values people first.

By James C. Hunter,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Servant as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With an introduction on using the principles of The Servant in your life and career, this book redefines what it means to be a leader.

In this absorbing tale, you watch the timeless principles of servant leadership unfold through the story of John Daily, a businessman whose outwardly successful life is spiraling out of control. He is failing miserably in each of his leadership roles as boss, husband, father, and coach. To get his life back on track, he reluctantly attends a weeklong leadership retreat at a remote Benedictine monastery.

To John's surprise, the monk leading the seminar is a…


Book cover of The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations

Gary DePaul Why did I love this book?

A colleague of mine introduced me to this book and argued that Kouzes and Posner wrote the gold standard of leadership practices. After reading their research-based stories, I agree.

The authors write in a way that goes beyond theory by offering a practical guide by focusing on the five practices of exemplary leadership. These practices are applicable to anyone’s career! Through inspiring examples and actionable steps, I learned how to lead with integrity, inspire others, and drive higher performance more effectively.

Read the gold standard of leadership development. It can become your call to action!

By James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Leadership Challenge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The most trusted source of leadership wisdom, updated to address today's realities The Leadership Challenge is the gold-standard manual for effective leadership, grounded in research and written by the premier authorities in the field. With deep insight into the complex interpersonal dynamics of the workplace, this book positions leadership both as a skill to be learned, and as a relationship that must be nurtured to reach its full potential.

This new sixth edition has been revised to address current challenges, and includes more international examples and a laser focus on business issues; you'll learn how extraordinary leaders accomplish extraordinary things,…


Book cover of Multipliers: How The Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter

Gary DePaul Why did I love this book?

I discovered Liz Wiseman's book by accident and consider it to be one of my most influential references.

Wiseman writes about two distinct leadership styles: Diminishers, who unintentionally drain employees’ energy and intelligence, and Multipliers, who empower others to excel and engage. Reflecting on my career, the diminisher/multiplier distinction helped me make sense of the negative and positive behaviors of management.

The book can help you adopt multiplier behaviors that enable you to foster an environment where your employees feel challenged, trusted, and valued. What I also value is how Wiseman writes about practical techniques and shares a self-assessment, which can enable you to recognize your own limitations but then empower you to change how you lead.

By Liz Wiseman,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Multipliers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A revised and updated edition of the acclaimed Wall Street Journal bestseller that explores why some leaders drain capability and intelligence from their teams while others amplify it to produce better results. We've all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders. The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room. These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment. On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities…


Book cover of Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders

Gary DePaul Why did I love this book?

After reading Captain David Marquet's book, I realized that Marquet had discovered a modern approach to leadership that differs substantially from traditional thinking.

What I love about the book is that it is a real-life story about how Marquet transformed the USS Santa Fe, a submarine with the worst performance record. Through empowering his crew and fostering leadership at every level, Marquet illustrates how giving up conventional thinking by relinquishing control unlocks the crew’s hidden potential. Doing so not only boosts morale but enables the crew to achieve remarkable results.

I believe that if you embrace Marquet's approach, you can transform your employees to be self-directed and high-performing. Read this book so that you, too, can lead others to take on any challenge and achieve extraordinary outcomes!

By L. David Marquet,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Turn the Ship Around! A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Leadership should mean giving control rather than taking control and creating leaders rather than forging followers."

David Marquet, an experienced Navy officer, was used to giving orders. As newly appointed captain of the USS Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine, he was responsible for more than a hundred sailors, deep in the sea. In this high-stress environment, where there is no margin for error, it was crucial his men did their job and did it well. But the ship was dogged by poor morale, poor performance, and the worst retention in the fleet.

Marquet acted like any other captain until, one…


Explore my book 😀

Nine Practices of 21st Century Leadership: A Guide for Inspiring Creativity, Innovation, and Engagement

By Gary DePaul,

Book cover of Nine Practices of 21st Century Leadership: A Guide for Inspiring Creativity, Innovation, and Engagement

What is my book about?

Feeling stuck in the outdated traditional leadership rut that doesn’t work in an era of quiet resignation? This book by Gary DePaul throws out the outdated playbook and equips you with nine actionable practices for inspiring creativity, innovation, and engagement.

Forget command and control; this book empowers anyone to thrive in today's fast-paced world, regardless of position. Ditch the jargon, embrace real-world examples, and go beyond skills checklists. Develop yourself, unlock your team's potential, and become the leader your 21st-century needs. Read it and lead with impact. It includes a new foreword by David Marquet that introduces the revised second edition. Marquet highlights the disconnect between traditional 20th-century ways of working and the modern workplace, suggesting that outdated practices need to be revised.

Book cover of It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
Book cover of The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership
Book cover of The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations

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What is my book about?

David Fletcher needs a surgeon, stat! But when he captures a British merchantman in the Caribbean, what he gets is Charley Alcott, an apprentice physician barely old enough to shave. Needs must, and Captain Fletcher takes the prisoner back aboard his ship with orders to do his best or he’ll be walking the plank.

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