In the opening of his latest book, my guest today says “the journey to heart-led leadership covers only 18 inches, but it lasts a lifetime.”  That is, the distance from the head to the heart is just 18 inches. New York Times bestselling author Tommy Spaulding divides his new book, The Heart Led Leader, into 18 main chapters, each one focused on a different aspect of the journey and highlighting people and companies exemplifying heart-led leadership at its best.    It begins, Tommy says, with asking these questions: Who are you? Who do you want to become? What do you want to be known for as a person and as a leader? And what is your leadership philosophy? This philosophy will serve as a compass to guide every action and decision. Join in on our chat below Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS In today’s episode, Tommy and I discuss: How he responds to those that claim heart-led leadership is too touchy-feely Why he considers soft skills the most important skills a leader can possess The impact that the vulnerability to share your story can have on your ability to lead And much more… This Episode is Sponsored By FreshBooks FreshBooks is currently offering a month of unrestricted use to to all RtLP listeners – totally free right now. And, you don’t need a credit card for the trial. To claim your free month, click here and be sure and enter ReadToLead in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section. If your business uses Freshbooks, and you’d like to share your experience with the Read to Lead audience, click the contact tab at the top of this page and let us know. Be sure and include “FreshBooks” in the subject line. Tommy’s Latest Book You can order your copy of The Heart Led Leader right now. Tommy in Action Books Tommy Recommends Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown by Eric Blehm The Radical Edge: Another Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Pat Lencioni The One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No by Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life by John O’Leary Tommy’s Resources The best place to find out more about Tommy is at his website. Here, you can pick up a copy of Tommy’s new book. You might consider hiring Tommy to speak or consul...