Leadership Biography

You've used their products. You've heard about their skyrocketing wealth and "don't be evil" business motto. But how much do you really know about Google's founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin? Inside Larry and Sergey's Brain skips past the general Google story and focuses on what really drives these men and where they will take Google in the future.

How the world's most powerful media mogul really thinks! Rupert Murdoch, the controversial chairman and CEO of News Corp., is the subject of endless gossip, speculation, and criticism. But what really drives his bold (and usually successful) gambles? Based on comments from News Corp. executives and competitors and interviews with Wall Street analysts, investors, and other media experts, this audio book explores some of the most fascinating questions about Murdoch.

Noncommissioned officers stand as the backbone of the United States Marine Corps. The Corps is among the most lasting institutions in America, though few understand what makes it so strong and how that understanding can be applied effectively in today's world. In this insightful and thoroughly researched audiobook, Julia Dye explores the cadre of noncommissioned officers that make up the Marine Corps' system of small-unit leadership.

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.

The philosophy found in this work is the product of a childhood on a tobacco and cattle farm in central Kentucky, education at various schools, and a three-decade career in the US Navy while simultaneously contributing as a husband, father, and grandfather. The remainder of this book will be separated into phases reflective of the major changes in my life: the farm, schooling, and a navy career continuum from junior officer through flag officer. The lessons learned in earlier phases were often exported and applied later.

Robert Foley had only been in Vietnam for six months when he was promoted to captain and given command of a rifle company. In November 1966, Foley led his men on a mission to rescue another company that had been pinned down by Viet Cong forces. His leadership that day inspired his men and led to a successful operation—and the Medal of Honor. His actions in Vietnam were only a small portion of a long and varied career of service in the US Army, but Foley did not always seem marked for success.

Ed Whitacre is credited with taking over the corporate reins at General Motors (GM) when the automotive manufacturer was on the brink of bankruptcy during 2009 and turned the company around in magnificent fashion. In this business memoir, the native Texan explores his unique management style, business acumen and patriotism. It was President Obama who reached out to Ed Whitacre to come out of retirement and take over GM in 2009.

We’ve all had moments of feeling like we didn’t belong, but imagine being born into a world where fitting in was never an option. Michele Sullivan, who has a rare form of dwarfism, shares how her physical posture taught her the most effective relational posture with others, which helped her become one of the most powerful women in philanthropy.

Turning Chaos into Gold is a groundbreaking guide that redefines what it means to lead as a woman in today’s fast-paced world. Blending practical strategies with inspirational insights, this book equips women with the tools they need to turn challenges into opportunities and lead with confidence, resilience, and purpose.

General Robert E. Lee was a complicated man and military figure. In Robert E. Lee, the 11th book in the critically acclaimed Great Generals Series, Noah Andre Trudeau follows the general's Civil War path with a special emphasis on Lee's changing set of personal values as the conflict wended through four bloody years, offering tantalizing glimpses into Lee’s character and exploring his famous skills as a crafty and daring tactician.

Dr. Orison Swett Marden triumphed over his tragic childhood to become a man who was revered by millions and who became known worldwide as "The Father of the American Success Movement".

Sara Potecha was one of the first women to graduate from West Point. The lessons she learned at the Academy and in the Army - about life and leadership, courage and character, resolve and resilience - have served her well in both military and civilian roles. Those skills have inspired this powerful book for leaders who aim to, like Sara, come out ahead even in the face of adversity and care for their own teams thoughtfully and with heart.

Changing the Rules of Engagement documents the lives of American women in the military, who have shattered the glass ceiling and performed extraordinary feats while serving their country. By telling their stories about their remarkable careers in traditionally male-dominated environments, Martha LaGuardia-Kotite demonstrates how tenacious and courageous women can achieve the unimaginable.

His name is carved in granite, his likeness cast in bronze, his legend as large as the role he played as America's first president. But before he was a commander-in-chief, George Washington was a general in a revolution that would decide the future of the people and land he called his own. Author Paul Vickery tracks the unlikely rise of Washington, a man whose stature in command of a young army became prelude to a presidency. As Vickery writes, "He learned to become the father of our country by first being the father of our military."

Transform your passion into a profitable business - with the help of the legendary entrepreneur who turned an innovative idea into a $100 million global powerhouse. Judi Sheppard Missett is a fitness icon who, at just three years old, discovered a passion for dance that would eventually fuel a global dance fitness empire. After an early life spent honing her dancing skills and a career as a professional jazz dancer, Judi had an epiphany: Why not combine the art of jazz dancing with the science of exercise to help others achieve a healthier, happier self-image and life?

In a compilation of fascinating stories, Dr. Jim Webb shares a view of visionary leaders who defied the odds to create extraordinary, lasting results in diverse environments. While guiding listeners on a journey through some of the world’s finest institutions and the influencers who produced and directed radical improvements, he shines a light on a variety of these exceptional leaders. Innovators Who Changed the World profiles the history of those who created, built, and guided organizations and people through transformation and changed the world in the process.

An in-depth look at the life of Oakland, California native, Barclay Simpson, Strong Ties focuses on the set of convictions and leadership qualities that allowed Simpson to build a successful business from nothing and to become one of the major philanthropists in the San Francisco Bay Area.

What this book is not: It is not a leadership academic resource, filled with principles, methodologies, laws, or processes – it’s a conversation. It’s like we sat down and shared stories over an ice-cold beer or chilled tequila on a hot, sunny day. It is an unconventional leadership book, an autobiography of lessons learned. By listening to this book, you’ll be taken on a ride with me through my personal leadership story.

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.

Founder and CEO of internationally recognized leadership-development company U & Improved Jodi Low brings her expertise on reframing life’s challenges as lessons. A collection of short personal stories, From Me to U shines light on some of the most defining experiences Jodi has lived through and how they have influenced her business, her family, and her life.