Gary A. DePaul

Gary A. DePaul has spent much of his career asking a deceptively simple question: What helps people to do their best work?

That question has led him through corporate training departments, consulting engagements, university classrooms, professional communities, research projects, conference stages, and more than a few workplace situations that taught him what not to do.

Gary writes about leadership because he believes the subject has been needlessly complicated and too often reserved for people with impressive titles. His work offers a different perspective. Leadership is not a position someone holds. It is a set of intentional practices that anyone can use to help others grow, strengthen relationships, and transform a workplace.

He teaches university courses, advises professionals, delivers keynote presentations, and designs learning experiences that help people turn ideas into everyday practices.

Gary’s thinking has been shaped by decades of experience across performance improvement, learning and development, and human resources. Just as important, it has been shaped by the colleagues, students, direct reports, mentors, and friends who challenged his assumptions, believed in him, corrected him, and helped him grow.

He does not claim to have mastered leadership. In fact, he believes mastery is the wrong goal. Leadership practices require continuous learning, honest feedback, and sustained effort.

Gary wrote What the Heck Is Leadership? for readers seeking something more practical than another collection of inspirational slogans. He wants you to recognize the influence you already have and use it intentionally. His hope is that this book helps you transform your team, department, workplace, and community, enabling more people to thrive and perform at their best.

He lives in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area with his wife and a household of rescued cats who remain unimpressed by his credentials.