Leadership Gets Personal: Finding Purpose, Transforming Lives, and Never Giving Up - Hardcover

by Nan McRaven (Author), Susan Engelking (Author)

How the University of Texas shaped twelve people who changed the world.

College is a time for personal growth. But any Biology 101 student knows that growth (personal or otherwise) requires the right environment. Collecting the revealing and deeply personal stories of twelve UT alumni who became leaders in their fields, Leadership Gets Personal honors the transformative impact of the Forty Acres on those who learn and grow there.

Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award-winning actor and #1 New York Times best-selling author, was destined for law school, but with the encouragement of his UT community, he realized he was a born storyteller. Brené Brown, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dare to Lead, struggled for years before finding her purpose in the Social Work Department. Dr. Amy Ho knew she wanted to change the American health care system, and at UT she gained the confidence and skills to make a difference. Astronaut Karen Nyberg was a shy kid; her UT graduate studies propelled her to space. And Darren Walker would go on to become president of the Ford Foundation, taking inspiration from the financial aid counselors who made sure he got the education he yearned for. For these and other outstanding alumni profiled here, the road was often rocky. Through perseverance, humility, and collaboration, they learned not only to exercise leadership but to live it.

Author Biography

Dr. Nan McRaven is an educator, thought leader, collaborator, and strategic advisor to a range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments, small businesses, and foundations. She is a tireless advocate for education and workforce development as essential components to advancing US global economic competitiveness. For more than twenty-five years, Nan has been an elected member of the Board of Trustees of Austin Community College. She holds a bachelor's degree in government from Sam Houston State University and two degrees from UT Austin: a master's from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and a doctorate in educational leadership. Since graduating from the LBJ School, she has served on the deans' advisory boards, chaired the bipartisan LBJ Women's Campaign School, and served on the Public Policy Committee for the Texas Exes.

Susan Engelking is a founder of the nonprofit Institute for Community MicroMobility. She is the author of Tiny Transit: Cut Carbon Emissions in Your City Before It's Too Late. She holds two degrees from UT-Austin.