Self Less

One night, following a painful divorce, Len Jessup hit what he calls the “the lowest moment” of his life. He would go on to credit this moment as the start of his journey to selflessness. In Self Less, you’ll follow Len’s story of emotional vulnerability. Blending personal narrative with research, Jessup argues selfless leaders can maximize impact by guiding teams, not controlling them. He stresses the power of constant learning, surrounding yourself with people far smarter than you, and service to others. For leaders seeking to create meaningful change through personal growth, Jessup provides inspiration along with practical advice on inclusive leadership and securing stakeholder buy-in. Self Less offers a roadmap to lead change through humility, kindness, and care for employees and partners.

With Self Less, Len Jessup shares an engaging first-person narrative detailing how his origins, beliefs, adversity, impact, and legacy shaped him into a selfless leader devoted to helping transform organizations. Beginning with childhood experiences and ancestral influences that imprinted a drive to serve others, Jessup recounts critical mentors and moments that built his confidence, reinforced core values, and motivated him toward continual growth.

Through riveting stories, Jessup demonstrates how he overcame obstacles by remaining true to his purpose, listening before acting, finding possibility amid doubts, building robust teams, maintaining resilience, and staying patient but determined in the face of resistance. Rather than top-down authoritarian leadership, Jessup advocates for a more enlightened, inclusive approach he terms "self less leadership"—acting with concern for others'' needs and deferring personal credit.

Jessup shares how this selfless mindset enabled breakthrough successes at universities he led. By transparently engaging stakeholders and promoting shared beliefs, he spearheaded major initiatives including curriculum innovations, facilities modernization, advanced degree programs, research growth, fundraising campaigns, and community partnerships. Throughout his journey, Jessup focused on maximizing positive impact on people through service. He offers lessons on lifelong learning, ethical governance, relationship building, and leaving a values-based legacy.

Offering a unique blend of memoir and leadership guidance, Self Less provides an inspirational model for leading transformational change in any organization while staying grounded in humility. Jessup aims to motivate readers to reflect on using their fleeting time and influence to better serve others.