A LEADER BECOMES A LEADER hits No. 8 in Leader Education on Amazon as it awakens leaders to new dimensions

June 19, 2008, Boston – Is there a spirit to leadership? Does it exist, and if it does, can it work outside the normal, linear confines of history to mark the progress of civilization? Are there guiding universal human principles on which civilization is built?

In a telling anthology that beautifully captures the spirit of leadership in the lives of the most consequential leaders of the 20th Century, A LEADER BECOMES A LEADER: Inspirational Stories of Leadership for a New Generation (True Gifts Publishing, August 2008), dramatically illustrates that a commitment to universal, transcendent human principles fired the achievements of many of the 20th century’s most important contributors to civilization. From justice providers to peacemakers, from truth seekers to seminal innovators, author and nationally recognized entrepreneur J. Kevin Sheehan brings to life the struggles, the suffering, the failures, and the achievements of seminal leaders who lifted civilization.

With 207 gorgeous photographs and a splendid design, the book cinematically portrays critical themes of leadership that get little coverage: seeking justice, sowing peace, manifesting beauty, and bridging to new worlds are some of the important realms covered. A LEADER BECOMES A LEADER is a vivid presentation of images and essays that challenges our preconceptions about leadership, demonstrating, for instance, that leadership plays as powerful a role in the arts as it does in politics. The book suggests that making universal human principles the foundation of one’s work is the essential ingredient for leaders in any realm.

Mr. Sheehan wrote A LEADER BECOMES A LEADER after innovating a mentoring program in the Massachusetts prison system where he experienced firsthand the powerful effect of a culture that glamorizes violence and anti-social behavior. “We appear to be at a turning point in culture and education. Our teachers dedicated to educating and inspiring people to go beyond themselves compete daily with elements that popularize negative human qualities and encourage people to turn their backs on the abiding spirit of our collective civilization. Difficult times demand that we address an essential question: why leadership, and where does it come from? It is ours to inspire the next generation.”

Luke O’Neill, founder of the groundbreaking Shackleton School, said, “It’s a masterful work that will change leadership education forever. I felt like I had just attended the most incredible dinner party ever assembled and did not want it to ever end. Kevin Sheehan has a special way of honoring remarkable people by making them both human and accessible.”
An award-winning entrepreneur and accomplished philanthropist, Mr. Sheehan has a keen interest in the problems of educating youth, especially young people in trouble, after innovating a tutoring program for the Boston Youth Prison system. He currently serves as the Executive Director for the Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund, an organization that successfully transitions 200 families and individuals from homeless shelters to permanent housing every year.

Mr. Sheehan is the founder of Starbucks Hear Music, a seminal music brand that has been heralded for two decades, redefining the music landscape with impact that has been felt around the world in over 44 countries. Mr. Sheehan has been featured in publications, such as The New York Times, Forbes Magazine, Fast Company, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, and many others. He is a graduate of Yale University and holds an M.B.A from Harvard Business School where he was named “Entrepreneur of the Year” for business planning Mr. Sheehan was raised in Louisville, Kentucky and Washington, D. C., and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

For more information about A LEADER BECOMES A LEADER or to arrange an interview with the author, please contact publicist Michelle Blackley at 917/916-3030 or mblackley@thecadencegrp.com