At his day job, Dr. Sandy Shugart is the president of the nation’s top community college, and in his spare time, he’s a poet/singer/songwriter. 

Despite those seemingly opposite passions, he’s found a way to blend his interests, even incorporating some of his original songs into his speeches. 

He is, perhaps, the most unique college president in the country. 

Dr. Shugart has now written one of the most unique books on leadership. In his book “In the Crucible of Work: Discovering the Interior Life of an Authentic Leader,” he doesn’t look at leadership from the usual vantage point — focusing on the techniques. Instead, he looks at the interior life of leaders to reveal how your work forms you more powerfully than you form it. 

He says if you’re not careful, one day you’ll wake up and discover your work has left you deformed. 

Find out how to make sure you’re someone you want to be. 

Dr. Shugart also describes his unique approach to leading Valencia Community College, which was recently named the top community college in the nation and awarded the first-ever Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. 

He explains the benefits and attractions of attending good community colleges and state schools these days and why at Valencia, his staff believes it’s not the pedigree of the learner but the commitment of the learner that makes a great student. 

Want to see Dr. Shugart performing? Click here to watch the video for his song “The Way Back Home.”