Self Less: Lessons Learned from a Life Devoted to Servant Leadership, in Five Acts
With Self Less, Len Jessup shares an engaging first-person narrative detailing how his origins, beliefs, adversity, impact, and legacy shaped him into a selfless leader devoted to helping transform organizations. Beginning with childhood experiences and ancestral influences that imprinted a drive to serve others, Jessup recounts critical mentors and moments that built his confidence, reinforced core values, and motivated him toward continual growth.
Through riveting stories, Jessup demonstrates how he overcame obstacles by remaining true to his purpose, listening before acting, finding possibility amid doubts, building robust teams, maintaining resilience, and staying patient but determined in the face of resistance. Rather than top-down authoritarian leadership, Jessup advocates for a more enlightened, inclusive approach he terms "self less leadership"--acting with concern for others' needs and deferring personal credit.
Jessup shares how this selfless mindset enabled breakthrough successes at universities he led. By transparently engaging stakeholders and promoting shared beliefs, he spearheaded major initiatives including curriculum innovations, facilities modernization, advanced degree programs, research growth, fundraising campaigns, and community partnerships. Throughout his journey, Jessup focused on maximizing positive impact on people through service. He offers lessons on lifelong learning, ethical governance, relationship building, and leaving a values-based legacy.
Offering a unique blend of memoir and leadership guidance, Self Less provides an inspirational model for leading transformational change in any organization while staying grounded in humility. Jessup aims to motivate readers to reflect on using their fleeting time and influence to better serve others.
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LEN JESSUP is an award-winning educator and innovative leader who has served as a university professor, dean, and president. Currently President of Claremont Graduate University, he previously led the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and held leadership roles at Washington State University and the University of Arizona. Jessup is a widely published author on entrepreneurship, innovation, and organizational change. He is a sought-after advisor on higher education strategy, research growth, new ventures, and executive development. The first in his family to attend college, Jessup holds a PhD in management from the University of Arizona along with an MBA and bachelor's degree. Known for transforming organizations through selfless leadership, he focuses on maximizing positive impact on people.
"Len's book came at the perfect time for me. I've been thinking a lot about my legacy and the kind of lasting impact I want to make on the world. In *Self Less*, Len demonstrates through his own powerful, personal, and sometimes emotional stories about his life and development as a leader, that selfless leadership does indeed work. In fact, it can help to move mountains and inspire others to dream their own big dreams. Compelling story. Practical advice. Perfect timing for me and the world. Buy this book today, read it as soon as possible, and start applying its brilliant wisdom today."
Jack Canfield
Coauthor of the *New York Times* bestselling *The Success Principles(TM) How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be*; Coauthor of the #1 *New York Times* bestselling *Chicken Soup for the Soul(R)* series; Founder, Transformational Leadership Council
"*Self Less* is not an easy read. Not a quick read. And that is intended to be the ultimate compliment. I've read dozens of leadership books that one can flip through, pick up a clever one-liner here and there, and then get on with life. My advice: Make *Self Less* a slow-even very slow-read. Pause, contemplate, nod, frown, and get your head into the right place. Do those things, time and again, and this may well end up as the best leadership book you've ever read. It damn well made me pause again and again, think, and nod, and frown, and reflect. Wish I'd read it twenty years ago! Thanks, Len."
Tom Peters
Business Management Guru; Bestselling Author of twenty classic books, including the groundbreaking, *In Search of Excellence*
"Len's message in *Self Less* parallels my transformation where, through a series of revelations, the lens through which I saw our 12,000 global team members was completely reversed. My business education and professional experience caused me to see the people in our organization as 'functions for my success.' But, like Len, a family experience caused my lens to completely change, and I saw the team members as someone's precious child rather than an engineer or production worker. Len clearly was impacted by his sense of responsibility to his children, and I have always said that parenting and leadership are identical. It is the sense of responsibility for those in your span of care at home and where we work. The result is a dramatic shift from a *me* focus to a *we* focus where we embrace the profound responsibility of leadership. Embracing Len's message in *Self Less* is the key to addressing the 'poverty of dignity' we are seeing in the world where people feel used to achieve someone else's goal, rather than cared for as they work together to achieve mutual objectives. The world Len and I imagine is truly a society where people think of others first."
Robert Chapman
Chairman of the Board and CEO, Barry-Wehmiller Companies; Bestselling Author, *Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family*
"This book is chock full of insights from a lifelong leadership student, teacher, and practitioner. Mark Twain famously quipped, 'I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.' Len has taken the time here to thoughtfully and concisely pen what's needed for a leader to reach the peak of the organizational pyramid; be it in academics, commerce, nonprofits, or civic life. Immediately after devouring it, I sent a copy to each of my kids. This sage guide will serve them-and you-well."
Bob Eckert
Chairman Emeritus, Mattel, Inc.
