Leaders first look to themselves.

Create a Ripple.

Learn how to unleash your team’s unique potential and build a dynamic, enduring organization. In 9 Leader Touchstones, Dr. Jes DeShields takes you on the journey to become a Leader-First® Leader in this one-of-a-kind leadership guide.

Dr. JES DESHIELDS

The Author of 9 Leader Touchstones and Creator of Leader-First® Leadership

9 Leader Touchstones

Leader-First Leaders think differently. They desire to build enduring organizations that transcend market disruptions, competition, and existential crises. Looking first to themselves, they understand that their behaviors shape every part of the organization, starting with the success of their team members. By cultivating the Leader Touchstones, Leader-First Leaders nurture relationships with all the organization’s stakeholders. They courageously challenge the status quo by relinquishing short-term, unsustainable results and, instead, put in the work to build healthy organizations that thrive long after they’re gone. If this is you, you are a leader that plays the long game.

I wrote this book for you.

PRAISE FOR 9 LEADER TOUCHSTONES

  • 9 Leader Touchstones is full of valuable, practical, and important insights and tips. I can’t think of a single leader who wouldn’t draw immediate value from this book, just as I did. It’s potent, powerful, and personal!

    BILL TREASURER, Chief Encouragement Officer, Giant Leap Consulting and Author of International Best Seller Courage Goes to Work

  • With stories that are inspiring and compelling, Jes gives us a refreshing view on leadership, marrying the human insights of Brené Brown with the pragmatic guidance of Jim Collins. 9 Leader Touchstones is a new look at modern leadership for organizations of today and the future.

    PAULA BOOKIDIS, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Central Texas

  • In 9 Leader Touchstones, Jes shows you how to create the blueprint to build a dynamic organization that not only prospers at the moment but endures.

    ROBERT KLEPPER, Global Insurance Executive & Strategic Advisor, Betterview

  • This is a must-read book for anyone who is a leader or aspires to be one. Brilliantly written, captivating, inspiring, and backed up by fascinating neuroscience and personal stories, 9 Leader Touchstones will make you rethink leadership.

    ABRAHAM THOMAS, Management Consultant and Advisor, Global Projects Americas, EMEA & APAC Regions

  • In 9 Leader Touchstones, Jes offers actionable, honest advice for leaders navigating the current generational shift and growing leadership crisis. Now more than ever, we need Jes's guidance, backed by her many years of consulting experience, to build enduring organizations. That starts by looking and leading beyond the bottom line. Inevitably, today's labor challenges will pass, but Leader-First Leadership will timelessly guide us well into the future.

    MELANIE SCHILD, Chief Executive Officer, Association of Junior Leagues Intl.

  • Jes is a phenomenal leader and team coach who advocates for enhancing team performance and healthy organizational cultures. Her work transformed my leadership approach and drove foundational changes in my organization. Her thoughtful and authentic style resulted in sustainable impacts that continued to produce positive outcomes even after I moved on from the organization. 9 Leader Touchstones is a must-read for any leader who cares about embracing culture change and building healthy organizations focused on sustainable results and enduring growth.

    LT. COLONEL KADY GRIFFIN, United States Air Force

  • I lead a global team of lawyers and other legal professionals and am passionate about their development. 9 Leader Touchstones offers new perspectives and insights on personal leadership and professional development. The ripple effects of micro adjustments can have a significant compounding effect. Jes's book inspires each of us to make a ripple to create big change.

    DALE J. DAVIS, Deputy General Counsel & Chief IP Counsel, Cummins, Inc.

  • Leader-First Leadership opened my eyes to the importance of focusing on my own resilience, then building a Culture of Vitality to encourage my team members to do the same. It also provided me the insight to lead with courage when faced with challenging team and organizational dynamics.

    ELIZABETH GILBERT, Owner & Managing Principal, Clark Condon

  • Beyond academic theory, Jes has spent thousands of hours working with leaders and teams. She uses her gift of storytelling to break down the complexity of systems dynamics so that, as leaders, we can see and understand the interconnection of business, behavior, and life. Reading 9 Leader Touchstones feels like one moment, sitting on the back porch sharing stories, and then the next, in the classroom, changing our entrenched thinking on business and leadership.

    JAMES LOVAAS, MBA, FCA, Founder, Freefall Consulting, Director of DTC Operations, Korbel Champagne Cellars

  • When I first met Jes, I was impressed by her willingness to serve others and her honesty and integrity in everything she does. Whether from the sidelines or together on the field of play, she's cheered me on through the formation and growth of my career. The Leader-First Leadership approach comes from how Jes lives and breathes and is imbued with her hard-pushing, joyful spirit. It's a resource any leader should have at their side!

    ANNE MANNER-MCLARTY, President & Lead Consultant, Heurista

  • In 9 Leader Touchstones, Jes weaves a water-tight tapestry for bringing about a culture of work that is reaffirming and rewarding for everyone in the organization. Is it doable? Yes. Is it transformational for your organization? Absolutely.

    JENN HULTING OSMAN, BA, MNA, Leadership & Organizational Development Consultant

  • Between Baby Boomer retirements and the Great Resignation of the past few years, many organizations face a critical loss of institutional knowledge and key relationships. Into this gap, flourishing leaders and teams are needed even more than ever. 9 Leader Touchstones combines proven research with stories from remarkable leaders to provide a compass to help you navigate this change. Trusting the wisdom within your team requires a Leader-First approach.

    WINSTON FAIRCLOTH, Founder, For Love of Team

  • Jes's ability to write with authenticity and vulnerability makes 9 Leader Touchstones an approachable and joyful read while giving readers a strong foundation in proven methods to ensure sustained success. This is not a theoretical book – it's a practical guide that provides valuable insights and strategies for anyone who wants to lead with excellence and build resilient organizations.

    MELISSA MARCELISSEN, MBA, Founder, Vision Leadership Consulting Inc.

  • Jes walks the talk in 9 Leader Touchstones. Her personal stories ignite passion, and her research revolutionizes the way leaders need to think in the 21st century and beyond. This book will redefine you as an authentic, purpose-driven leader by showing you how to live and breathe the touchstones.

    JOHN MIKOS, President & Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of Middle Tennessee

  • My expectations of leaders have changed due to understanding the Leader Touchstones. Learning how culture is created in organizations has caused me to change my actions and approaches to being part of a team and pushing others to behave in ways that reinforce trust and empathy. Thanks, Jes, for bringing this into the world! Even if you've read dozens of leadership books, the approach and wisdom in 9 Leader Touchstones will make leadership and your team's success tangible in a new way.

    JADA TULLOS ANDERSON, Program Manager, Wildlife Conservation Society

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