Lead and Succeed

Proven Strategies to Develop and Enhance Leadership Skills for Recent Graduates and Early Career Professionals

Instead of teaching leadership through broad principles and prescribed steps, Scott Cowen's Lead and Succeed is a unique book that invites readers to engage in a process of personal development as they begin to build their careers. 

With candor and honesty, Cowen describes his own complicated and, at times, difficult path to becoming dean of the Weatherhead School of Management at the age of thirty-eight, president of Tulane University during the Hurricane Katrina crisis, and interim president of Case Western Reserve University during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as serving on several corporate boards during his thirty-year career.

Along the way, Cowen has met and worked with all kinds of leaders, and has seen leadership—and its challenges—in all its shapes and forms. He speaks from the heart and knows what the next generation of leaders need to learn in order to start making a lasting positive impact in the world.

Lead and Succeed is also an interactive workbook, with sections at the end of each chapter for writing akin to journal entries. “Reflection Prompts” ask readers to write about their own strengths, values, and vulnerabilities, and “Action Prompts” encourage them, in specific daily acts, to conquer fears, overcome setbacks, and act on deeply held beliefs. The back-and-forth between Cowen’s thoughtful memoir and the reader’s own unfolding story is the essence of this inspirational book, which shows readers not only how to “be” a leader, but how to become a truly outstanding one.

Add to cart to preorder your copy today!
$24.95
ISBN: 979-8-89138-410-1
SKU: 18-1336-01
Categories:Amplify Publishing, Leadership and Management, Inspiration and Personal Success

“This is the book I wish I'd had when I first became a leader at Time and CNN. It’s a very practical, hands-on book that begins with the most profound piece of ancient wisdom: know thyself. Unlike other leadership books, which serve up anecdotes and rules, Cowen also provides a hands-on guide for you to discover what works best for you in different situations. Leadership is a skill that can be learned, and this book will allow you to do so, step by step, in a way that is tailored for you. Cowen personally has led institutions through change and through storm, most notably guiding Tulane to a resurgence after Hurricane Katrina, and his book can help make you a person who can lead with clarity of purpose and a moral sense.”

Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“It’s been said by pundits worldwide that those who can, do; those who can’t, teach. Scott is a unique leader who can do both as an accomplished executive, leader, and educator. His finely tuned portfolio of skills provides what Scott calls ‘Reflection Prompts,’ or introspective and thought-provoking questions, to jump-start the reader’s own exploration and learning process, whether for newbie, wannabe, or experienced managers. This book is not your father’s Oldsmobile, as it will introduce a new way of thinking, managing, and instructing.”

Michael Feuer, cofounder and former sixteen-year CEO of OfficeMax, Inc.

“In Lead and Succeed, Scott Cowen blends personal anecdotes with actionable insights as he explores essential qualities in leaders, such as vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive thinking in today’s complex world. Cowen’s wisdom on embracing your inner maverick, defining what ‘winning’ looks like, and leading with purpose is both inspiring and practical. His candid discussion of failures and challenges alongside successes paints an authentic picture of leadership. This book is essential reading for recent graduates and early career professionals seeking to develop their leadership skills and make a positive impact. Lead and Succeed is an indispensable resource for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of leadership with purpose and integrity.”

Jeffrey Selingo, New York Times bestselling author of Who Gets In and Why, and cohost of the Future U. podcast

“With a mix of candid personal stories and the wisdom that comes from a professional life of exceptional leadership, one of America’s best university presidents has written this book especially for aspiring young leaders. Cowen provides inspiration as well as practical advice to readers. Through the questions he poses to prompt reflection and the actions he suggests, he helps young people see how they can, starting today, take steps to become leaders who will make a difference. Every young person who wants to be a leader in any field should read Lead and Succeed.”

Barbara R. Snyder, president, Association of American Universities

“As president of Tulane, Scott Cowen didn’t see his role of president as just a job; he saw it as an opportunity to contribute to the community around him. Scott’s spirit is what makes this book unique. His advice is invaluable, especially to ‘go for it with all your might,’ which is what Scott embodies every single day. Lead and Succeed couldn’t come at a better time. We live in an extremely polarized society with deeply complex political, social, and economic challenges. We need leaders who know how to create environments where people solve problems together. This book is the perfect gift for anyone thinking about the next steps in their quest to make a difference in the world. Scott’s writing feels like an in-person mentoring session and his stories provide a clear road map for those who want to be changemakers. His human and relatable approach to leadership is accessible to anyone who reads this book.”

—Deborah Bial, president and founder, The Posse Foundation

“The vast majority of leadership books are soliloquies that valorize one or another so called leader. Not this one. Scott Cowen invites us into a conversation about our own leadership journeys, informed with humility and humor, by his own extraordinary experiences. This book is inspiring and will be an invaluable tool for everyone in the lifelong process of ‘becoming’ leaders.”

Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council of Education

Scott Cowen

University President, Corporate Advisor, and Leadership Scholar 

As both a seasoned leader and a leadership scholar, Scott Cowen brings a wealth of knowledge to the advice in Lead and Succeed. During his career, Cowen has taught and written extensively on leadership, served at the helm of large organizations in both higher education and the corporate sector, led two universities through major crises (Tulane University during Hurricane Katrina and Case Western Reserve University during the COVID-19 pandemic), was a leader in the transformation of public K–12 education in New Orleans, and has served on many for-profit and nonprofit boards.

Time magazine named Cowen one of the nation’s Top 10 Best College Presidents and he was appointed to the White House Council for Community Solutions by President Barack Obama. He is a former chair of the Association of American Universities and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Cowen is the recipient of several national awards, including the Carnegie Corporation Academic Leadership Award and TIAA-CREF Theodore M. Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education. He also holds honorary degrees from some of the nation’s top institutions, including Brown University, the University of Notre Dame, Yeshiva University, the University of Connecticut, and Case Western Reserve University.