1. What prompted me to choose this book?
There was no way I was going to prison without reading some books on leadership. You never know if you’re a good leader—I think I am, but how do I really know? Well, somebody understands this, and not only did I hear it was a good book, the title spoke to me: Conscious Leadership. That’s a motto to follow.
2. What did I learn from reading this book?
This book breaks leadership down into fifteen plain habits—things like owning your mess, telling the truth, and stopping the blame game. Sitting in this cell, the idea of living “above the line” hits hard: act from responsibility, not fear. When it explains how real listening and clearing grudges keep a team solid, I can see why a few of my old business deals went sideways. The simple drills—like checking in with a green-yellow-red “traffic light” or writing out what a bad choice really costs—feel doable even in here. They give me small, daily ways to practice steady leadership now, so I’m ready when it’s time to run jobs and look my crew in the eye again.
3. How will reading this book contribute to my success upon release?
My head still jumps from thought to thought in here—my wife juggling bills, the boys asking when Dad’s coming home, wondering what life will look like after release. This book settles me. Its fifteen habits start with a hard truth: own what you did. Reading that, I faced every shortcut that landed me here instead of at my son’s soccer game. The “above-the-line” rule—respond, don’t react—reminds me I can still choose how I show up for my family, even on a five-minute phone call from the tier. The chapter on listening hit hardest: write the resentment down, breathe, and let it go. I pictured talking with my wife and hearing her fears instead of defending myself. The traffic-light check-in—green, yellow, red—gives me a quick daily gut check so I don’t drift. Each of these simple moves feels like a brick I can lay right now to rebuild the trust I cracked back home.
