Coming March 2026
About the Book
In A Leader Worth Following, Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics and expert in experience management, Dr. Benjamin Granger, offers a transformative and exciting new approach to business leadership. Dr. Granger combines proven experience management principles with cutting-edge human psychology research to create a framework in which soft skills, characterized by emotional intelligence, human-centered behavior, and clear, compassionate communication, anchor your leadership style and help you earn followership.
Part 1: Foundations of Modern Leadership
The physics of modern organizations
Why "soft skills" are the hard skills of leadership
How the business philosophy of Experience Management (XM) can transform your leadership
Forget dominance; earn prestige from those you lead
Part 2: Master Yourself
The surprising power of the environment and how you can create environments that bring out the best in others (and yourself)
How to leverage reciprocity to drive performance at scale
Become a more curious and incisive leader
Remain humble as you commit to self improvement
Part 3: Scaling Leadership
An evolutionary case for why communication so often breaks down and what to do about it
How our minds (and brains) work and how you can gain more conscious control over your thinking
Body language tricks to upgrade your influence & neutralize bad actors
How to control your mind with your body
What We'll Discuss
Not Your Typical Business Book
A Leader Worth Following breaks the traditional business book mold. Here are a few examples of what sets this book apart
Master the Art of Body Language
Show up as confident and collaborative in high stakes settings. Learn to intentionally direct your eyes, hands, feet, and posture
Engage in Guided Introspection
Mind-expanding thought experiments to explore your mind, face the ugly parts of yourself, and travel "back to the future"
Learn to look at the world through the lenses of others and take more ownership over others’ perceptions of you
Control how Others Perceive You
Pre-Order Now
It is extremely rare to find a leadership book that takes a holistic perspective to success and thriving. This book is just that - it's thoughtful and grounded in content that spans the mind, the body, and behavior.
This is a must-read book for all leaders, especially first-time managers.
Steven Rogelberg, PhD, Chancellor's Professor, UNC Charlotte | Past-President, SIOP | Co-Editor, Journal of Business and Psychology | Author of Glad We Met and The Surprising Science of Meetings
★★★★★
★★★★★
Leadership is about inspiring others. And inspiration is about shaping how people perceive and experience the world around them. In this highly practical book, Ben Granger weaves together business case studies, scientific research, humorous anecdotes, and homespun wisdom into an enlightening and engaging guide on how to be a leader who brings out the best in others and themselves.
Steve Hunt, PhD, Former Chief Expert on Work & Technology, SAP | Author of Talent Tectonics & Commonsense Talent Management and Hiring Success
★★★★★
What sets this book apart is Ben’s ability to pull insights from diverse areas— evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, physics, leadership studies—and combine these into unique frameworks for your own leadership. Ben writes with humor, humility, and authenticity. He can make you laugh one moment and rethink your leadership philosophy the next.
Andy Biga, PhD, Chief People Officer, GoHealth Urgent Care
★★★★★
Granger's unique contribution lies in providing the actionable "how" behind the "what" and "why" of great leadership. He masterfully blends complex psychological and cognitive science with real-world business challenges.
This book is for any leader who aspires to move beyond conventional strategies to build an organization where people are inspired to follow, not because they have to, but because they want to.
Ashley Walvoord, PhD, Chief Learning Officer, Fortune 100 Technology Company
Praise for A Leader Worth Following
★★★★★
A book with both heart and rigor, full of lightbulb moments, practical wisdom, and insights that will change the way you see yourself - and others - at work. I haven't learned this much from a leadership book in years!
Sarah Marrs, MSc, Centre of Excellence Global Lead, AwardCo
★★★★★
A Leader Worth Following does better than superficial tricks of the leadership trade, instead offering a comprehensive review of a hard truth: good leadership requires mastering yourself.
Chris Rosett, MS, Director of People Experience & Technology, Amazon