Leading Matters

"John Hennessy is Silicon Valley's gold standard. In both business and academia, he is the true measure of enlightened leadership and rock-solid integrity, paving the way for and acting as inspiration to the new generation of entrepreneurs. It is a cause for celebration that he has finally put his wisdom and experiences into print."—John Chambers, former CEO of Cisco

"Leading Matters is a gorgeous, inspirational, and essential handbook for the leaders we all hope to be. John Hennessy shares more than 90 life lessons in leadership -- lessons learned as an entrepreneur, professor, and president of one of the world's great universities. Ranging from artificial intelligence to the arts to the value of empathy, John's stories are a rare gift for the courageous, humble servant leader inside each of us. Now, more than ever, we need this book."—John Doerr, author of Measure What Matters

"In this book, John Hennessy shares deep insights gained from a phenomenal career as an engineer, an entrepreneur, and the president of a world-class university. It's an indispensable guide for leaders at every level."—Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

"For me, John Hennessy is one of the great university presidents. Leading Matters is a must read. As an alumnus, I take great pride that my alma mater had such a leader at its helm. With this great book, he leads us still."—Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York

"This book is just like its author: humble, empathetic, courageous and very smart. It tells leaders a hard truth: successful leadership isn't just about confidence or expertise. It also requires the harder-won qualities of humility and empathy. John came by these lessons honestly and is now generously sharing them with a new generation of leaders."—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google

"John Hennessy was a transformational president for Stanford University. In this insightful book, he provides a "how to" guide that will benefit leaders from all walks of life. And it's a good read too -- with wonderful examples of how to marry vision and execution in the face of both challenges and opportunities on the road to change."—Condoleezza Rice, Professor and Former Provost of Stanford University

"In Leading Matters, John Hennessy challenges each of us to consider how we can develop our own leadership style. His powerful insights—informed by his long and distinguished tenure as president of Stanford University—are about grounding leadership in empathy, courage, and service. This book is a guide for leading in good and tough times alike—and for helping raise the next generation of leaders."—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and Founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org