Humbled on Purpose

"Maggie takes you on her journey from a tragic start to the C-suite with humor, heart, and humility that will engage you, and weaves it together with business, leadership, and life lessons that will inspire and change you."

• Dave Keil, Former Chairman and CEO of HoneyBaked Ham

Vocational guidance and career development coaches routinely preach the values of following passion rather than money. Few, however, would necessarily recommend taking an 86% pay cut to leave the C-suite to run a local nonprofit.

In Humbled on Purpose, Maggie DeCan humorously details her exit from a high-powered corporate role to become the leader of the Children's Development Academy. In the process, DeCan left over a million dollars in annual compensation on the table, but found her calling as a champion for high-quality childcare and early education.

Throughout the book, which serves as both a memoir and leadership guide, DeCan emphasizes the sacrifices she had to make early in her career to cut it in a male-dominated corporate culture. After recounting her own management missteps, she outlines her philosophy of "scar-based leadership," a framework for individuals to lead not by strength and perfection, but rather by acknowledging their own failures and shortcomings.

Humbled on Purpose is an essential resource for individuals just embarking on their careers, and for those looking to find more meaning in their lives. It is well-known that career fulfillment is not achieved by pursuing every last dollar available. At the same time, DeCan points out that leaders should not have to forfeit a meaningful salary in the name of passionate self-sacrifice.

Balancing purpose and prosperity is critical to more than just individual growth. The betterment of our communities depends on it.