About the Book
Leadership That Matters strips things back to what actually works: treating people like people. Through clear, and down-to-earth guidance coupled with lived experience and actionable exercises, Thomas Addams shows how leaders at any level can build trust, develop talent, and keep teams healthy without losing sight of results.
About the Author
Thomas Addams is a leadership voice who believes success comes from humanity, not hierarchy. Drawing on years of experience leading teams and mentoring talent, he focuses on practical ways to balance accountability with mental health and work/life balance. His debut book, Leadership That Matters, received the 2025 International Impact Book Award for Servant and Ethical Leadership.
Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?
Leadership That Matters: Balancing Humanity With High Powered Results is about leading like a human being first. It digs into the everyday practices that actually move people: clear expectations, honest feedback, attention to mental health, and a healthy balance between work and life. For me, personally, the most gratifying part of leadership is seeing others succeed and helping to grow their talent, and the book offers practical ways to do exactly that.
Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?
Anyone who has people looking to them for direction—new managers, experienced leaders, coaches, project owners, even mentors outside the workplace can benefit from stepping back once in a while. It’s straightforward, practical, and meant to be picked up and used right away. If you care about balancing accountability with humanity, this book was written with you in mind.
Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?
Dean Koontz and Stephen King for their mastery of voice and storytelling. Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series for its wit and perspective. A newer favorite is Matt Nielsen’s Hand of the Reaper, a fantastic pirate adventure that’s just plain fun. There are also a couple of books by Harper McGarity that explore myths and mysteries in my home state of Georgia. On the professional side, the StrengthsFinder books helped me see the value in leaning into what people do best, and Who Moved My Cheese? remains a classic because simple truths are often the ones that stick.
Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?
Write the way you’d talk to a person one on one who needs your message. Don’t chase perfection on the first pass, just get your truth out. Editing will sharpen it later, but honesty and clarity are what connect with readers. Most of all, be yourself in your writing and don’t try to bend or skew your personality to fit a keyhole that wasn’t made with your words specifically in mind.
Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?
The best place is Facebook where I share quick, practical thoughts on leadership and writing as well as updates on my projects. I’m also on TikTok, but not as frequently accessible there. Call me camera-shy.
Q6. What was your inspiration for writing your book?
I wrote Leadership That Matters because as a neurodivergent leader, I kept seeing the same gap: people were being promoted into leadership roles without the tools or support to succeed. The inspiration was simple: make leadership more human, more practical, and more sustainable. To really build a foundation for neurodivergents like myself to gain ground on being understood and actually heard even by neurotypical leaders.
Q7. There are many leadership styles and many different ways people behave and respond to leadership. What guidance would you or your book offer for leading a team of very mixed individuals?
Every team is a mix of personalities, strengths, and challenges—that’s normal. The key is meeting people where they are. Leadership That Matters encourages leaders to focus on listening first, tailoring communication, and creating an environment where different kinds of people can thrive. It’s not about having one style; it’s about being adaptable without losing your core values.
Q8. What has been the most challenging part of writing your book?
Honestly, it was narrowing it down. Leadership touches so many areas—mentorship, accountability, mental health, work/life balance—that deciding what to include (and what to save for later) was tough. The challenge was making the book focused enough to be useful without overwhelming the reader.
Q9. Have you experienced good and bad leaders in your career? Can you tell us about their styles.
Definitely both. The best leaders I’ve worked with made me feel trusted and supported—they set clear expectations but also cared about me as a person. The worst leaders relied on fear or micromanagement, and while it might have gotten short-term results, it never built loyalty or long-term success. Those contrasts shaped how I lead today, and they heavily influenced what I wrote about in the book.
Q10. What will you be working on next?
Recently, I released the follow-up to this book (Leadership That Matters II: Different Minds, One Team). It’s dives deeper into themes like mental health, inclusivity, and how to lead in environments where people think differentl,y whether that’s personality, background, or various forms of neurodiversity. Aside from that, I have some notes for my next leadership entry but am also working on the framework of my first novel. My goal is to keep building practical, people-centered tools that leaders can use every day.
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