'The Leadership Killer' Published to Combat the Rise of...

Today, leadership expert and bestselling author Bill Treasurer and retired U.S. Navy SEAL Captain John Havlik released The Leadership Killer: Reclaiming Humility in an Age of Arrogance, a new book that leaders in all walks of life—whether they lead in the worlds of business, government or military, religion, sports, or entertainment—can use to answer the critical question, “How will I use my leadership power?” The book proposes that too many leaders are falling victim to the “leadership killer” of hubris and are increasingly misusing, or worse, abusing, their power. Leadership, above all, requires self-discipline and self-governance, yet too many leaders have become more driven by self-interest than restraint, as evidenced by recent political, corporate, military, university, and even religious leadership failures.

Treasurer and Havlik describe hubris—also defined as “dangerous overconfidence”—as the single most lethal trait that makes good leaders go bad, not only damaging a leader’s effectiveness (and morals) but also harming the people they’re supposed to be leading and motivating. Havlik—who served in various special operations assignments during his 31 year naval career—and Treasurer—a pioneer of courage-centered leadership programs that his company, Giant Leap Consulting, has taught to thousands of executives and managers at organizations like NASA, eBay, Lenovo, and more—wrote The Leadership Killer to give leaders the tools to recognize the potential pitfalls of leadership success, remain grounded, and effectively navigate the enormous responsibility that comes with power.

“You can fill a bookshelf with superb books on leadership and apply all the lessons you learn from reading them, but you’ll miss a key factor: good leaders are humble,” said Kristie Kenney, former US Ambassador to the Philippines, Ecuador, and Thailand. “They ask questions, they listen to advice, and they admit when they make mistakes. Bill Treasurer and Captain John Havlik’s book is short, entertaining, and an invaluable resource for leaders and wanna-be leaders.”

The book has received praise and endorsement from leaders and luminaries across industries, speaking to its universal appeal and the current need for its insights:

“With plenty of books written already on how to succeed as a leader, Bill Treasurer and John Havlik offer us something new and greatly needed: practical wisdom on how to survive leadership success. This must-read gives leaders at all levels the tools to recognize hubris in ourselves and others and develop self-awareness before it’s too late.”
— John R. Ryan, President and CEO, Center for Creative Leadership, Vice Admiral, United States Navy (Retired)

“The Leadership Killer is the literary equivalent of a super tough workout or a day of SEAL training. It forces you to re-examine your ‘why’ and push past your limits. Bill Treasurer and Coach Havlik wrote a book every leader must read.”
— Rear Admiral Kerry Metz, United States Navy (Retired), Former SEAL and First Commander of Special Operations Command North

“How could The Leadership Killer be any more timely than it is in these days of unfettered egotism and runaway self-aggrandizement? See the news headlines and it’s clear that every leader, or aspirer to leadership, should read this well-written book with a mirror in hand, to help combat their own unjustified entitlement.”
— Whitney Johnson, bestselling author and Thinkers50 Leading Management Thinker

“In an age crying out for wise judgment and effective leadership, The Leadership Killer is an essential read. Making a convincing case for the lost art of humility, John Havlik and Bill Treasurer empower both aspiring and experienced leaders to ask questions, to take risks, to try new approaches, to fail—and to get up and try again. I recommend this book to all those who look at the state of leadership today and ask, How can we do better?”
— E. Gordon Gee, President, West Virginia University

“Filled with examples of the seductive nature of leadership, Treasurer and Havlik show us why it’s so easy to be sucked into believing leadership equates to superiority. This is a book that needed to be written—for the events of today and the leaders of tomorrow. Read this book. Don’t jeopardize your career, integrity, and reputation. It is surely a wakeup call for all of us.”
— Elaine Biech, bestselling author of The Art and Science of Training

After meeting nearly 40 years ago at West Virginia University, Treasurer and Havlik took their own leadership paths after graduation, but have come together to share the important lessons they learned in this book for tomorrow’s leaders. The Leadership Killer is available now on Amazon in both paperback and digital editions.

About Bill Treasurer

Bill Treasurer is the Founder & Chief Encouragement Officer at Giant Leap Consulting, a courage-building company that exists to help people and organizations live more courageously. A former member of the U.S. High Diving Team, Bill is considered the originator of the new organizational development practice of courage-building. For over two decades, he has designed and delivered leadership and succession planning programs for experienced and emerging leaders for clients such as NASA, Accenture, CNN, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hugo Boss, UBS Bank, Walsh Construction, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

About John Havlik

Captain John "Coach" Havlik, U.S. Navy SEAL (Retired), led special operations teams in classified and unclassified operations around the world throughout his 31-year naval career, to include the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, the SEAL's most elite operational unit. CAPT Havlik was a nationally-ranked swimmer and Olympic Trials qualifier, and coached at several major universities. He is a member of the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame and Mountaineer Legends Society.

To post a comment, you must register and login.