6/26: Book Launch for Leadership in Verse with John Baldoni!
About this Event
Booksweet is thrilled to welcome John Baldoni to celebrate the launch of his latest poetry collection, Leadership in Verse!! Join us for an author reading, Q&A, book signing, refreshments, and more!
We will start with a reading around 6:10pm. John will be available for questions and signings with light refreshments until 7:00pm!
About The Book//
A leadership thinker uses poetry, reflection, and inspiring real-life stories to explore the heart, courage, humility, and grace needed to lead well in difficult times.
In a leadership market saturated with data-driven frameworks and “hustle” culture, John Baldoni’s Leadership in Verse: Poems & Stories arrives as a necessary, soulful intervention. Baldoni, a veteran coach and author, pivots away from the cold mechanics of management to explore leadership as a fundamentally moral and relational practice.
This is not a manual for performance; it is a meditation on the human spirit under the weight of responsibility. The book’s distinctive strength lies in its tripartite structure, which guides the reader through a process of diagnosis, discipline, and demonstration.
In the first part, Baldoni strips away the corporate euphemisms that mask workplace rot. He addresses the “unspoken” realities of burnout; the corrosive nature of ego; and the hollowed-out isolation of virtual disconnection. By naming these shadows, Baldoni forces a confrontation with the truth: institutions fail when their leaders trade responsibility for moral evasion.
The second part offers the remedy. However, Baldoni’s “tools” are not KPIs or spreadsheets; they are virtues like grace, humility, and solitude. He argues that the integration of character and conduct is the only way to remain grounded under pressure. Through poetic compression, he makes abstract concepts like “blessing” and “resilience” feel like practical, daily disciplines. The use of verse here is a brilliant tactical choice; it slows the reader down, demanding the very reflection that modern corporate life often stifles.
The final part cements these ideals in personal and historical stories. Baldoni recounts lives of figures ranging from Robert Redford and James Lovell to Jimmy Carter and Abraham Lincoln. These are not idealized case studies but portraits of “character formed through suffering.” They illustrate that leadership is a habit of service, not a status of authority.
Baldoni’s central thesis is clear: effective leadership begins with self-leadership. One cannot enlarge others without first mastering the ego and confronting one’s own cowardice or pride.
Leadership in Verse is an essential read for executives, managers, and coaches who find themselves weary of abstract advice that ignores the emotional toll of the modern workplace. It is a rare book that offers both a “searching diagnosis” and a “humane perspective.” For those navigating the fog of organizational change or the exhaustion of burnout, Baldoni provides a mirror and a compass, urging us to lead with a depth that is as moral as it is imaginative.
About The Author//
John Baldoni is a globally recognized leadership author and keynote speaker who has spoken throughout North America, the Middle East and Europe. John’s thought leadership is reflected in his writing as well as his choice of media: columns, videos and books. Even today John continues to experiment. He integrates piano improvisations into his keynotes which he illustrates with his still life photos. John also hosted LinkedIn Live’s Grace Under Pressure interview series, a platform that has enabled him to interview more 250 global business, academic and thought leaders and doers.
John is an award-winning author of 15 books, including Grace Under Pressure: Leading Through Change and Crisis, MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership, Lead with Purpose, Lead Your Boss, and The Leader’s Pocket Guide. John’s books have been translated into 10 languages. John has also published three collections of poetry, including his newest, Leadership in Verse.
Thinkers 360 named John its No. 1 Thought Leader in Management for 2025, No. 2 Coaching in 2023 and a Top 10 Thought Leader for both Leadership and Management in 2022. In 2026, Global Gurus ranked John a Top 10 global leadership expert, a list he has been on since 2007. John is also a member of 100 Coaches, a select group of business, science, medicine and coaching thought leaders founded by Marshall Goldsmith.
John’s newest project is the Baldoni ChatBot, an AI-based coaching resource solely based upon his library of work. It provides leadership answers to management questions. John has authored more than 1000 leadership columns for a variety of online publications including Forbes, Harvard Business Review and SmartBrief. John plays piano and golf, two activities that teach him patience and humility.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
