Burn the Script: Kill the Leadership Theater, Lead for Real
Forget the sanitized leadership playbooks.
is an unapologetic deep dive into 35 years of hard-won management and leadership lessons from Dr. Dave Schippers-lessons forged in real boardrooms, IT data centers, crisis situations, and moments when failure wasn't an option.
With raw honesty and no sugar-coating, Dr. Schippers shares the decisions that kept teams alive in high-pressure environments, the moves that saved organizations from collapse, and the times he learned more from mistakes than from victories. Each chapter pulls back the curtain on the messy reality of leadership-navigating office politics, managing conflicting agendas, motivating people who've stopped caring, and steering through change when everyone else is clinging to the old way.
You won't find vague theory here. You'll find field-tested strategies, memorable real-world stories, and a leadership philosophy built on clarity, courage, and authenticity. You'll see how to:
Make the tough calls when everyone else is avoiding them.
Inspire loyalty in the face of uncertainty.
Navigate the politics without losing your soul.
Lead people through change they don't want.
Build trust that lasts longer than any project deadline.
This book is for leaders who refuse to hide behind buzzwords and want the truth about what it takes to stand tall when the ground is shaking. Whether you're managing your first team or running an entire organization,
will challenge you, inspire you, and equip you to lead where it counts-when it's hardest.