An inspiring, practical guide to leadership for recent graduates and early career professionals
“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.”
Walter Isaacson
#1 New York Times bestselling author
Available June 3, 2025
About Lead and Succeed
“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.”
Barbara R. Snyder president, Association of American Universities
In contrast to the many books on leadership featuring broad principles and prescribed steps, Scott Cowen’s Lead and Succeed is unique in inviting readers to engage in a process of personal development as they begin to build their careers.
With honesty and candor, Cowen describes his own complicated and, at times, thorny 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 fifty-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 is clear-eyed, speaks from the heart, and knows what the next generation of leaders need to know in order to start making a lasting positive difference 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 values, strengths, 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.
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Meet Scott Cowen
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.
Praise For Scott Cowen & Lead and Succeed
“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.”
Walter Isaacson #1 New York Times bestselling author
“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. . . . 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
“This book is essential reading for recent graduates and early career professionals seeking to develop their leadership skills and make a positive impact.”
Jeffrey Selingo New York Times bestselling author of Who Gets In and Why, and cohost of the Future U. podcast
“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.”
Deborah Bial president and founder, The Posse Foundation
“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.”
Michael Feuer cofounder and former sixteen-year CEO of OfficeMax, Inc.
“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
Contact
Scott Cowen is available for interviews, speaking events, and other media opportunities.
To book Scott, please contact Mary Sasso at mary@amplifypublishing.com.
For bulk order inquiries, please contact Joseph Klammer at joseph@amplifypublishing.com.
Want to get in touch with Scott? Interested in booking him for a speaking engagement or interview? Contact him using the form below.