Purpose Driven Power
What 40 Leadership Books Taught Me About Democracy
By Ami Mariscal on February 14, 2026
One of the reasons my heart was broken so deeply in 2016 — and then again in 2024 — is this:
Over the course of my life, I’ve read more than 40 books on leadership, including the Bible. Again and again, they point to the same core truth: the strongest leaders are those rooted in values. They lead through service. They inspire commitment to a shared purpose. They understand that leadership is not about dominance, but about stewardship.
I saw us as the people of the United States moving toward these leadership principles as a society. I love my country because we are free to travel the world and experience other cultures. Because we welcome people into our country who seek asylum. We, as a country, have lead through service — through peacekeeping, through alliances, through a commitment to democratic ideals.
When Donald Trump was elected in 2016, it shattered that understanding for me. It felt like the story I believed about who we were as a society had been tossed into a dumpster and set on fire. I even had a T-shirt with a burning dumpster labeled “2016” (for more reasons than just one person). It was gallows humor — but it was also grief.
I’ve read all of Brené Brown’s books (which I highly recommend reading in the order she wrote them). Her work on vulnerability and courageous leadership has shaped how I understand power and responsibility. Reading her most recent book was unexpectedly painful for me because it resurfaced everything I’ve been feeling for the last decade. It reminded me how much I long for leaders who are brave enough to be vulnerable — leaders who serve rather than divide.
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I long for leaders like Jesus — leaders who care deeply for the people they serve, who act with integrity, and who model the kind of character the rest of us can aspire to. We cannot be Jesus, but in a time marked by division, it feels important to remember that he served everyone — not just his own.
Most of the leadership books I’ve read over the years come from the business world, and they consistently point to the same conclusion: the strongest, most enduring organizations are led by people who prioritize purpose over power and service over self-interest. The language may differ, but the principle is the same.
That’s why I’m drawn to benefit corporations. At their best, they embed that principle into their structure — requiring leaders to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders, not just shareholders. It’s leadership designed around service.
If service-based leadership strengthens companies, it matters even more in the public square. The health of a democracy depends on it.
I see the pendulum of our democracy swinging. I pray we elect leaders who are willing to stand up to demagoguery and protect the institutions that hold us together. I understand why some people stay silent — I, too, would want to protect my livelihood. And I am deeply grateful for the brave souls who have chosen to speak and act anyway.
We all have the ability to affect change. We all have a role in ensuring the rope that holds the pendulum of democracy does not burn through.
Let’s keep the pendulum moving. Let’s vote for leaders who are vulnerable, courageous, and committed to serving others.
