Leading Matters

John L. Hennessy is Chairman of the Board of Alphabet and Director of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, the largest fully endowed graduate-level scholarship program in the world. He serves on the Board of Directors for Cisco Systems and the Board of Trustees for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The tenth President of Stanford University, he is also a computer scientist who co-founded MIPS Computer Systems and Atheros Communications. Hennessy and David Patterson were awarded the ACM A.M. Turing Prize for 2017.

"John Hennessy is Silicon Valley's gold standard. In both business and academia, he is the true measure of enlightened leadership and rock-solid integrity, paving the way for and acting as inspiration to the new generation of entrepreneurs. It is a cause for celebration that he has finally put his wisdom and experiences into print."—John Chambers, former CEO of Cisco "Leading Matters is a gorgeous, inspirational, and essential handbook for the leaders we all hope to be. John Hennessy shares more than 90 life lessons in leadership -- lessons learned as an entrepreneur, professor, and president of one of the world's great universities. Ranging from artificial intelligence to the arts to the value of empathy, John's stories are a rare gift for the courageous, humble servant leader inside each of us. Now, more than ever, we need this book."—John Doerr, author of Measure What Matters "In this book, John Hennessy shares deep insights gained from a phenomenal career as an engineer, an entrepreneur, and the president of a world-class university. It's an indispensable guide for leaders at every level."—Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation "For me, John Hennessy is one of the great university presidents. Leading Matters is a must read. As an alumnus, I take great pride that my alma mater had such a leader at its helm. With this great book, he leads us still."—Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York "This book is just like its author: humble, empathetic, courageous and very smart. It tells leaders a hard truth: successful leadership isn't just about confidence or expertise. It also requires the harder-won qualities of humility and empathy. John came by these lessons honestly and is now generously sharing them with a new generation of leaders."—Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google "John Hennessy was a transformational president for Stanford University. In this insightful book, he provides a "how to" guide that will benefit leaders from all walks of life. And it's a good read too -- with wonderful examples of how to marry vision and execution in the face of both challenges and opportunities on the road to change."—Condoleezza Rice, Professor and Former Provost of Stanford University "In Leading Matters, John Hennessy challenges each of us to consider how we can develop our own leadership style. His powerful insights—informed by his long and distinguished tenure as president of Stanford University—are about grounding leadership in empathy, courage, and service. This book is a guide for leading in good and tough times alike—and for helping raise the next generation of leaders."—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and Founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org

• Foreword by Walter IsaacsonIntroduction1. Humility: The Basis for Effective Leadership2. Authenticity and Trust: The Essential Ingredientsfor Effective Leadership3. Leadership as Service: Understanding Who Worksfor Whom4. Empathy: How It Shapes a Leader and an Institution5. Courage: Standing Up for the Institution andthe Community6. Collaboration and Teamwork: You Cannot Do It Alone7. Innovation: The Key to Success in Industry and Academia8. Intellectual Curiosity: Why Being a Lifelong LearnerIs Crucial9. Storytelling: Communicating a Vision10. Legacy: What You Leave BehindConclusion: Building the FutureCoda: Books from Which I Have Learned