Lead Last: Twenty-One Counterintuitive Principles for Becoming an Effective Leader (Paperback)

The Old Rules of Leadership Are Broken

Most leadership books tell you to take charge and command the room. But what if the most effective leaders do the opposite?

In Lead Last, Marine Corps officer and award-winning author Olaolu Ogunyemi reveals twenty-one counterintuitive principles that challenge conventional wisdom and drive real, measurable results. Drawing from over a decade of experience leading high-performing teams, he offers a refreshing blueprint rooted in servant leadership, emotional intelligence, and long-term vision.

You’ll learn how to build resilient teams, make bold decisions without sacrificing trust, and master the “Who’s Next?” principle for establishing a legacy of mentorship that ensures your leadership outlasts you.

Whether you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, educator, or emerging leader, this concise, actionable guide will encourage you to lead with influence, not just authority.

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.