The Frameworks
Are in the Books.
Three leadership books by Pete Srodoski built from 20+ years in the trenches running real companies. Not theory pulled from other books. The actual playbook from someone who has carried the P&L, made the hard calls, and coached over 100 founders through the same problems.
Leadership Books by Pete Srodoski
This one came from years of watching smart founders get stuck. They hired people. They delegated tasks. They even built org charts. And then they woke up one day still in every decision, still covering for B-players, still the only one who cared enough to notice when the standard slipped.
The problem was never the team. The problem was the framework. What to look for when you hire. How to onboard someone so they hit the ground running instead of guessing for six months. How to build a culture that does not depend on you enforcing it personally. How to have the accountability conversation before it becomes a termination conversation.
Every chapter ends with a Monday Morning Playbook - one specific action to take before the week is over. Not theory. Not reflection prompts. Work.
"Culture is not what you claim. It is what you tolerate. It is what spreads behind your back, and if you are not intentional about building it, chances are very high you will not like the result."
What this book covers: Leadership standards and accountability. Hiring for assets, not just availability. Onboarding that builds confidence instead of confusion. Cracking the culture code. Coaching your team instead of carrying them. Conflict that does not destroy the room. Scaling a team that runs without you in every decision. Legacy leadership.
"This is the book I wish I had 10 years ago. Pete doesn't give you fluff - he gives you the actual playbook for building a team that performs without you holding their hand. Practical, direct, and immediately usable."
"Pete gave me the tools to lead with clarity and confidence. Last year we grew 20%, and we're on track for 25% this year. The difference wasn't working harder. It was leading better."
"I've read plenty of leadership books. Build Kickass Teams is the first one where I stopped on almost every page and thought - I need to do this Monday. Pete writes the way he coaches. Direct, real, and zero filler."
This book was written for the CEO who is about to crack. You know the one. Running hard for years. Keeping it together on the outside. Starting to feel it on the inside. The one who thinks asking for help or admitting uncertainty is weakness. Who has been told that the best leaders are the toughest ones in the room.
That story is wrong. And it is costing people - their teams, their businesses, and eventually themselves.
Lead With Empathy is not a soft book. It is a strategic one. Empathy is not about group hugs and therapy sessions at work. It is about understanding your people well enough to get more out of them, keep them longer, and build a culture where people actually want to show up. Leaders who do this consistently outperform the ones who lead through fear and pressure. Not because it feels better - because it works better.
This book covers EQ and emotional intelligence as real leadership tools. Self-awareness as a competitive advantage. How to take care of yourself so you can take care of your team. How to deliver hard feedback with honesty and without destroying the relationship. How to build trust without losing your edge. And how to be the kind of leader who people follow because they want to - not because they have to.
"Empathy is not a quick fix. It is not turning your workplace into a cozy den of therapy. It is finding the sweet spot between understanding the struggles of your team and directing them toward greatness."
"A game-changer in the world of leadership. Pete doesn't just preach empathy - he shows you how to use it as a real tool. This book will change how you run your team."
"This book is more like a conversation with a wise friend. Pete Srodoski breaks the leadership mold - direct, honest, and genuinely invested in helping you grow."
"Within six months of working with Pete I saw an increase in revenue, efficiency, and customer experience. He doesn't give you fluff - he gives you what actually works."
This one is for the founder who is just getting going. Before the mistakes pile up. Before the habits get baked in the wrong way. Before the systems that should have been built in month one have become the chaos you are trying to un-do in year three.
Pete watched too many founders hit their stride and then realize their foundation was wrong. The Small Business Playbook was written to get ahead of that. It is the guide Pete wishes someone had handed him at the beginning - not motivational content, not big-picture vision stuff, but the actual operational mechanics of running a small business the right way from day one.
Each chapter walks through a core business function step by step - finance, operations, hiring, marketing, customer experience - and ends with a checklist so you can verify you have actually done the work, not just read about it. The checklists are not busywork. They are the standard. If you cannot check the box, the chapter is not done.
If you are already a few years in and still feel like you are winging it in some areas, this book works for you too. Every business has gaps. This one helps you find them and close them.
"If your entire team were interviewed tomorrow and had to describe your leadership in one sentence - would you be proud of what they would say?"
"I was skeptical at first. But Pete shifted everything - from meetings that went nowhere to a team that owns accountability. If you're on the fence about whether to invest in your business education, get off it."
"The checklists at the end of each chapter alone are worth the price of the book. I've been in business for six years and still found gaps I didn't know I had."
Buying for Your Team?
If you want to order copies of any of Pete's books for your leadership team, reach out directly. Bulk orders are available and Pete has spoken at team reads and book club sessions for groups working through the material together.
The Books Are the Start.
Coaching Is the Work.
If the frameworks in these books are what you need right now, great - take them and run. If you want to work through them directly with Pete inside your actual business, that conversation starts with a fit call.