10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times: Coaching Your Team Through Immense Change and Challenge by Tom Ziglar Summary

1. Coach leadership outperforms management by focusing on potential over control during chaos.
2. Kindness as default response builds trust during organizational upheaval.
3. Close the empathy gap through active listening to align leadership with employee needs.
4. Humility accelerates adaptation by valuing team insights over top-down decision-making.
5. Self-control in leaders creates psychological safety for teams facing uncertainty.
6. Firmness paired with hope provides stability without stifling innovation in crises.
7. Encouragement beats micromanagement to activate intrinsic motivation during disruptive change.
8. Positive expectations reset team mindset from survival to growth in volatile markets.
9. Serve employees’ personal goals first to drive company success long-term.
10. Persistence rooted in purpose sustains teams through prolonged uncertainty.
11. Respectful collaboration replaces authority silos to harness collective crisis intelligence.
12. Selfless leadership prioritizes employee well-being as the catalyst for organizational resilience.

About the Author

Tom Ziglar, CEO of Ziglar, Inc. and author of 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times, is a globally recognized leadership strategist and torchbearer of the Ziglar legacy in personal development.

Building on the philosophy pioneered by his father, motivational icon Zig Ziglar—"You can have everything in life you want if you help others get what they want"—this book distills decades of corporate training expertise into actionable strategies for modern turbulence.

A sought-after keynote speaker for Fortune 50 companies and academic institutions like Harvard and Cambridge, Ziglar reinforces his leadership framework through his TEDx talk "The Coach Leadership Model" and his earlier bestselling book Choose to Win.

As steward of the Ziglar brand—6.5M+ Facebook followers and a top-ranked business podcast—he merges timeless principles with AI-enhanced coaching tools. The Ziglar Corporation’s programs, trusted by organizations worldwide, have equipped over 250 million people through content spanning 33 books and transformational seminars.

FAQs About This Book

What is 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times by Tom Ziglar about?

10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times provides a framework for leading teams through uncertainty by cultivating 10 core virtues: kindness, selflessness, humility, positivity, self-control, and others. Tom Ziglar blends his father Zig Ziglar’s motivational philosophy with modern coaching strategies, emphasizing that leadership starts with personal transformation, not just organizational change. Practical examples and real-world stories make it actionable for today’s challenges.

Who should read 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times?

This book is ideal for managers, entrepreneurs, and anyone leading teams through rapid change, such as hybrid work transitions or industry disruptions. It’s particularly valuable for leaders seeking to balance performance with empathy, and those interested in Ziglar’s Coach Leadership Model to attract and retain top talent.

Is 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times worth reading?

Yes—the book offers timeless principles for modern crises, like pandemic recovery and AI-driven workplace shifts. Readers praise its actionable steps, such as implementing “coaching conversations” to boost productivity while improving work-life balance. Over 150 coaches globally use Ziglar’s system, demonstrating its practicality.

What are the main leadership virtues outlined in the book?

The 10 virtues are grouped into three categories:

• Character Foundations: Kindness, selflessness, humility.
• Resilience Builders: Positivity, self-control, adaptability.
• Legacy Drivers: Integrity, wisdom, coaching mindset. Each virtue includes scripts for difficult conversations and strategies to foster trust during upheavals.

How does 10 Leadership Virtues differ from other leadership books?

Unlike theoretical guides, Ziglar focuses on self-directed change rather than fixing teams. It’s faith-friendly but secular-applicable, avoiding overt religious references while emphasizing ethical leadership. The book also integrates Ziglar’s proprietary coaching system, used by companies like Harvard-backed startups.

What is the “Coach Leadership Model” mentioned in the book?

Introduced in Ziglar’s TEDx talk, this model teaches leaders to attract, develop, and retain talent by prioritizing mentorship over micromanagement. It’s designed for post-pandemic challenges, helping managers address remote work burnout and “quiet quitting” through empathetic communication.

Can 10 Leadership Virtues help with remote team management?

Absolutely. The book provides tools to maintain engagement in hybrid environments, like virtual “coaching check-ins” and conflict resolution templates. Ziglar cites case studies where leaders reduced turnover by 40% using these methods post-2020.

What criticisms exist about 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times?

Some reviewers note the virtues are broad (e.g., “be kind”) and lack niche tactics for industries like tech or healthcare. However, most praise its adaptability—Ziglar encourages tailoring frameworks to specific team needs rather than one-size-fits-all rules.

How does Ziglar’s approach compare to his father Zig Ziglar’s teachings?

Tom modernizes Zig Ziglar’s iconic “help others achieve their goals” philosophy for the digital age. While Zig senior focused on sales psychology, Tom emphasizes sustainable leadership through coaching and legacy-building. Both share a focus on balanced success across career, health, and relationships.

What key quotes define 10 Leadership Virtues for Disruptive Times?

• “Leadership isn’t a title—it’s a series of choices.”
• “Control your reactions, not the disruption.”
• “The best legacy is enabling others to lead.” These lines underscore the book’s theme of inward growth driving outward impact.

How is the book structured for practical use?

Chapters follow a Learn-Apply-Reflect format:

1. Explains a virtue’s importance.
2. Provides workplace scenarios (e.g., layoffs, mergers).
3. Includes reflection questions and 30-day action plans. This makes it suitable for book clubs or leadership training programs.

Why is 10 Leadership Virtues relevant in 2025?

With 72% of companies facing AI-driven restructuring (per Ziglar’s 2024 data), the book’s focus on adaptability and emotional intelligence addresses today’s skills gap. Updated case studies cover leading multigenerational teams and ethical AI implementation.