Leadership in the Crucible of Work

In Leadership in the Crucible of Work: Discovering the Interior Life of an Authentic Leader, Dr. Shugart shares insights from his 30 years of experience as a leader, including his service as the president of Valencia College—inaugural winner of the Aspen Prize for Excellence. Avoiding the latest leadership gimmicks and fads, Leadership in the Crucible of Work will guide you on an inward journey to discover how to do the interior work that leads to becoming an authentic leader. In This Book You Will: Discover inner attitudes that lead to the outer actions of a great leader. Understand the importance of asking good questions—because every good question directs a leader to a better one. Learn how an exceptional leader says, “we are in this together,” then demonstrates it to be true. Find out why the greatest threat to a leader is their own ego, hubris, and blind spots—and what to do about it. Come to realize that the difficult experiences of work (i.e. the crucible) exist to consume the dross of self so the leader is humbly drawn into servant leadership. Uncover how to become the unique leader you were meant to be. Find encouragement and guidance to shape your inward journey as you become an outwardly successful, authentic leader. Sanford C. “Sandy” Shugart, Ph.D. is the author of Leadership in the Crucible of Work and serves as president of Valencia College—inaugural winner of the Aspen Prize for Excellence. His leadership journey has taken him to presidencies of two large colleges, an active life of speaking on leadership issues in the US and Europe, a visiting scholar’s chair at Oxford University, and various boards of directors. His reflections on the challenges of work and character formation have informed his own leadership roles, his poetry, and his music for many years. Most of all, he is a storyteller, sharing with good humor and humility the inner struggles he and many other leaders confront every day.