Most leadership books tell you to take charge and command the room. But what if the most effective leaders do the opposite?
Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, educator, or emerging leader, Olaolu’s concise, actionable guide will encourage you to lead with influence, not just authority.
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TESTED PRINCIPLES. PROVEN RESONANCE.
For years, the counterintuitive leadership framework of Lead Last has been put into practice, refined, and featured across executive boardrooms, defense journals, and national media.
EXECUTIVE & BUSINESS MEDIA
- Forbes: Featured in “How To Stop Useless Meetings” detailing the S.T.R.U.C.T.U.R.E. framework for transparent executive leadership.
- Leadership Circle: Author of “Are You Driving Repeat Results, or Chasing Shiny Objects?”—focusing on eliminating performative busywork.
- HRMorning: Author of “An ‘Insecurity Tax’ Could Hurt Retention: 4 Solutions to Keep Your Talent”.
DEFENSE & OPERATIONAL DOCTRINE
- Marine Corps Gazette: Author of “Recruit, Train, and Retain” and “Adapt or Perish”, examining C4 architecture and decentralized leadership.
- Leatherneck Magazine: Author of “Involuntary Sacrifice: How Military Parents Build Resilient Children”.
- Military Officer Magazine: Featured article “Leadership Lessons from the Gridiron”.
CORPORATE & INSTITUTIONAL BULK ORDERS
Equip your leadership cohorts, management teams, or organization with tier-discounted bulk copies of Lead Last. Complete the form below for custom volume pricing and invoicing options.
BRING “LEAD LAST” TO A LIBRARY NEAR YOU
Lead Last is already in dozens of libraries. Here’s how to enjoy it and bring it to yours.
DIGITAL & AUDIO ACCESS
- Virginia Residents: Access digital eBooks & eAudiobooks free through BiblioBoard (Indie Virginia Collection).
- Audiobook Streaming: Stream free via the Hoopla Digital App using your library card.
REQUEST FOR YOUR LIBRARY
Don’t see it in your local catalog? Request Lead Last through your librarian using these details:
Title: Lead Last: Twenty-One Counterintuitive Principles for Becoming an Effective Leader
Author: Olaolu Ogunyemi
Publisher: Amplify Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 2, 2026
ISBN: 978-8891389717
Advance Praise
“Lead Last is a great read chock-full of leadership gems just waiting to be mined!”
James C. Hunter, author of the international bestseller The Servant
“Olaolu Ogunyemi flips the script on leadership. Lead Last shows us that real leaders don’t chase the spotlight—they lift others, build trust, and lead with purpose. This book won’t just sit on your shelf—it will change how you show up every day as a leader.”
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith, Thinkers50 #1 executive coach and New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life, Triggers, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
“Lead Last is an excellent guide for beginners and professionals, showing that leadership is less about being the center of attention and more about creating a collaborative environment where everyone moves in the same direction.”
DIANA LOPEZ FOR READERS’ FAVORITE
“Lead Last is a refreshing and essential guide for anyone aspiring to make a genuine, lasting impact in their leadership journey. It moves beyond quick fixes, offering a practical road map for profound self-discovery and people-first leadership. It’s like a self-help book, a leadership conference, and a pep rally all rolled into one!”
Todd Henry, author of The Brave Habit
“Lead Last is an insightful leadership guide that forwards suggestions for finding one’s identity, managing teams well, and staying true to one’s goals.”
FOREWORD CLARION REVIEW
“Ogunyemi’s central wager is plain because it needs to be practiced, not admired: leaders are made in habits repeated under pressure.”
DEMETRIS PAPADIMITROPOULOS ON GOODREADS
“He challenges several familiar assumptions about what good leadership looks like… [Ogunyemi’s] perspective also changes how leaders think about their teams.”
— Forbes
“Lead Last is a thoughtfully written guide that marries clarity with timely relevance, offering readers a no‑nonsense take on leadership grounded in everyday examples and recognizable frameworks.”
JAMIE MICHELE FOR READERS’ FAVORITE
“Olaolu challenges leaders to look inward and understand themselves and those they lead to become the kind of leader who empowers and inspires others. Through insightful, practical principles, Olaolu offers a no-nonsense road map to navigating today’s ever-changing landscape of technology and evolving workplace norms while fostering a positive, productive work environment free from toxic culture and negativity.”
Tommy Spaulding, New York Times bestselling author of The Heart-Led Leader and The Gift of Influence
“Brilliantly organized, straight to the point, and easy to comprehend . . . I recommend Lead Last to all leaders in business and other organizations. Anyone passionate about leadership will definitely appreciate this book.”
STEWART BRIAN FOR Readers’ Favorite
“This book will benefit managers, team leaders, and emerging professionals with its practical and thoughtful framework for understanding how a people‑first approach can shape team culture and long‑term results.”
BLUEINK REVIEW
“Ogunyemi’s Everyman persona, evident and diverse life experience, and focus on leadership built on emotional intelligence and personal responsibility make for a valuable addition to any leader’s library.”
KIRKUS REVIEW
Consulting
Meet the author, Olaolu Ogunyemi: engaging leadership development speaker, award-winning author, and U.S. Marine Officer
Leadership Development Speaker
Olaolu is a sought-after speaker—delivering dynamic keynotes, workshops, and podcast interviews that challenge and equip audiences to lead with purpose and impact.Award-Winning Author
As a winner of the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal, along with the Marine Corps University Foundation and Alumni Association 2022 Mutter Marines Command and Control Writing Award, Olaolu writes to encourage and inspire.U.S. Marine Officer
Olaolu’s experience of nearly 15 years in the United States Marine Corps, including as a Major, has shaped his understanding of setting worthwhile goals, overcoming challenging obstacles, and becoming a people-focused leader.Olaolu is available for interviews, speaking, and other media opportunities:
Olaolu in the Media
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More About Olaolu Ogunyemi
Olaolu Ogunyemi is a loving husband, father, mentor, award-winning writer, and US Marine officer with a deep passion for working with children and developing leaders. Known for his infectious energy and creativity, Olaolu channels his personality into every aspect of his work. As the fifth of six children, he learned the value of storytelling early, inspiring him to write books that foster meaningful family connections and teach invaluable life lessons.
He is the author of the award-winning and Amazon bestselling children’s book Crow From the Shadow, along with Horace the Horsefly and Billy Dipper’s Time to Shine. His professional insights and creative work have been featured in numerous publications and platforms, including Military Families Magazine (where he published “Lessons from a Deployed Father” and was separately highlighted for his work), the YouVersion Bible App, the Marine Corps Gazette, the Parenting Decolonized podcast, and many more publications, podcasts, and media outlets.
Upside-Down Leadership
UPSIDE-DOWN LEADERSHIP
11-Week Men’s Bible Study Workbook
Leadership starts with humility.
Humility starts with service.
Upside-Down Leadership is an 11-week Men’s Bible Study Workbook co-authored by U.S. Marine and author Major Olaolu Ogunyemi and fourth-generation educator and author Chip Baker. Rooted in the core principles of Olaolu’s Lead Last framework and enriched by decades of leadership, coaching, and storytelling experience, this hands-on Bible study challenges conventional leadership by pointing men back to the ultimate model of servant leadership: Jesus Christ.
Equip Your Whole Team
Churches and organizations get every copy at a volume price.
Small Group Study
10–24 copies
$18.99/book
+ shipping and handling
Most Popular
Ministry Partner
25–99 copies
$15.99/book
+ shipping and handling
*Includes 1 Instructor Guide
Organizational Partner
100+ copies
$12.99/book
+ shipping and handling
*Includes 2 Instructor Guides
11 Sessions That Flip the Script
01
The Upside-Down Leader
What does it mean to lead like Jesus? It starts by going low. Before He healed the sick, raised the dead, or spoke to thousands, He knelt and washed feet. Don’t wait for a title before you decide to lead.
Start now with action.
02
Lead From Who You Are
You cannot lead others well if you don’t know who you are. Before Jesus washed a single foot, He knew exactly who He was. His servant posture, washing dirty feet, didn’t damage His identity. Rather, it amplified His message.
03
The Power of Presence
What if the most powerful thing you can give the people around you isn’t your productivity, a rousing speech, or a perfect résumé, but your presence? Here’s a key point: Jesus stopped for people. This week, we learn to cancel complaining and show up fully for the people we lead.
04
Sacred Rhythms
Every great leader operates from a rhythm. Before Jesus taught, healed, or led crowds, He pulled away, prayed, and sought the Father.
Sacred rhythms always begin with connection before contribution.
05
The Pain and Power of Forgiveness
Hands down…forgiveness is one of the hardest things a leader will ever do, but it is one of the most necessary. Imagine this: Jesus forgave from the cross in real time, after being mocked, betrayed, abandoned, gruesomely injured, publicly humiliated, and with literal stakes puncturing His hands and feet as he died a slow, torturous death. I’m not sure I could endure this kind of hardship, let alone forgive my offenders mid-action, but that’s the standard we should all strive to live by.
06
Character, Integrity, and Holding the Line
Not every failure is a character flaw. And not every character flaw is a training problem.
Great leaders know the difference, and they act accordingly.
Holding the line isn’t cruelty or just being a stickler for rules; it’s obedience.
07
Developing People with Compassion and Clarity
The best leaders manage performance and develop people. Leadership is discipleship. Discipleship is intentional.
“Feed my sheep.” — Jesus to Peter, John 21:17
08
Encouragement and the Unseen Work
Some of the most important work a leader does happens in silence. Sometimes, it’s unannounced, unnoticed, and uncelebrated.
Never forget: Encouragement is not a soft skill. It’s a biblical mandate.
09
Growing Through Resistance and Rejection
Impactful leadership is uncomfortable. Problems don’t resolve themselves, rejection doesn’t disappear, and opposition doesn’t always back down. This week, we learn to meet problems head-on and lead like a revolutionary.
10
Legacy: Build What Lasts
A leader’s greatest impact is what they reproduce. Jesus performed miracles AND built disciples. He taught them to teach others and passed the baton when He left this earth.
11
Be Studious. Finish Strong.
This may be the last session in this study, but it isn’t the end of our journey. It’s time to prepare for the next race!
Upside-down leaders are lifelong learners who finish with endurance.
The Upside-Down Leadership Men’s Bible Study & Leadership Workbook
A companion workbook built for men’s groups, Bible studies, and leadership cohorts. Packed with scripture-anchored reflection prompts, group discussion guides, and action plans.
About the Authors
Olaolu Ogunyemi is a U.S. Marine Officer, award-winning author, and leadership strategist dedicated to developing resilient, purpose-driven leaders at work and home. As the Founder of Parent-Child-Connect, Olaolu bridges the gap between high-stakes military discipline and the intentionality required for modern mentorship.
Olaolu is the author of the Amazon best-selling Crow From the Shadow and a recipient of the Marine Corps University Foundation’s Command and Control Writing Award. His work—ranging from tactical IT strategy in the Marine Corps Gazette to faith-based resilience on the YouVersion Bible App—is unified by a single mission: equipping influencers to lead with contagious energy and practical frameworks. Whether he is speaking to corporate executives or in classrooms, Olaolu delivers a message of “Marine Corps discipline meets fatherly heart” that transforms how we lead the next generation.
Connect with Olaolu at www.parent-child-connect.com.
Chip Baker is a fourth-generation educator. He has been a teacher/coach for over twenty-six years. He is a multiple-time best-selling Author (over 30 books), Youtuber/Podcaster and Transformational Speaker.
Chip Baker created the YouTube channel/podcast “Chip Baker – The Success Chronicles,” where he interviews people from all walks of life and shares their stories for positive inspiration and motivation.
With a background rooted in service, teamwork, and leadership, he inspires others by sharing the life lessons he’s learned along his journey.
Live. Learn. Serve. Inspire. Go get it!
Connect with Chip at https://chipbaker.org/
