Powerful insights into the practice of motivation

Marilyn Carlson Nelson has achieved global recognition for the Carlson brands of hotels, restaurants, cruise, travel, and marketing services.

But that's only part of the story.

As a daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother, Marilyn has always put people first. When her grandson asked a simple question about her life, she decided to write it all down-her fondest memories and deepest insights-in How We Lead Matters: Reflections on a Life of Leadership.

This thoughtful book offers a surprisingly personal glimpse into a multi-faceted woman who happens to be one of the most successful CEOs in the world. She describes the thrill of flying in an F16 over Death Valley (without getting sick), and throwing a barbeque for the KGB (who preferred vodka to the traditional beer). She shares the difficulty of making choices and sacrifices to run her family's business, and the heartbreak of losing a child.

Her insights are sprinkled with the timeless words of Mahatma Gandhi, Anne Frank, Oscar Wilde, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, and others, as she talks about what it's like to be a woman in today's business world, while reflecting on an engaging array of subjects-from equal rights to corporate wrongs to motherhood. Most compelling of all, she reveals how a meaningful legacy is built one day at a time.

An inspiring collection of stories, insights, and profound life lessons

As a CEO, daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother, Marilyn Carlson Nelson has always put people first--a key priority in her uniquely effective philosophy of corporate leadership. How We Lead Matters combines her adventures and insights with wisdom from renowned spiritual, political, and literary figures to convey the leadership precepts behind her business, managerial, and corporate success.

From stargazing and world travel to equal rights and corporate wrongs, this thoughtful combination of professional and personal experiences is one of Carlson Nelson's proudest legacies. It is a book that will inspire you to think about how you live, how you lead, and how you can make impactful choices that create your own brand of success.

"These stories are the ones that are closest to me...life is made up of a series of days and choices, and how we lead matters."--Marilyn Carlson Nelson