Justin N. Chase is a nationally recognized leader in crisis services, behavioral health, and nonprofit management. As CEO of Solari Crisis & Human Services, he has spent more than a decade advancing innovative solutions that bring hope and support to people in their most difficult moments.
Justin’s new release, Heart-Led Leadership, shares the principles he has lived throughout his career: leading with empathy, inspiring teams through authenticity, and building organizations that prioritize people above all else. Drawing on real-life stories from the frontlines of behavioral health and leadership, he offers practical guidance for leaders navigating today’s complex and high-pressure environments.
Here’s what you need to know about it.
Book Title: Heart-Led Leadership: Inspiring the Workforce of Tomorrow
Genre: Business, Leadership
Website: heart-ledleadership.com
What inspired you to write Heart-Led Leadership at this point in your career?
The inspiration for Heart-Led Leadership came from years of leading in environments where the stakes were high, the pressures immense, and the people at the center deserved more than transactional leadership. After 10 years in my role, I decided last year that I would finally commit and write a book within 1 year. Now here we are!
Through my experiences as a CEO in crisis and human services, I witnessed firsthand the toll that burnout, disconnection, and traditional command-and-control styles can take on teams and organizations. I also saw the extraordinary difference that compassion, authenticity, and purpose-driven leadership could make, creating cultures where people felt valued, inspired, and resilient even in the face of immense challenges.
This book was born out of a desire to challenge the notion that leadership is solely about results or authority. Instead, it reflects my conviction that the most enduring leaders are those who lead with empathy, humility, and hope.
Heart-Led Leadership is my attempt to put language to a style of leadership that uplifts people, honors their humanity, and aligns organizational success with human flourishing. It is both a call to action and a practical guide for leaders who want to leave a legacy defined not only by what they achieve but by how they make people feel along the way.
Who absolutely must read this book?
Heart-Led Leadership is written for executives, managers, and emerging leaders who want to move beyond traditional management and build organizations where people thrive. It is especially valuable for those navigating high-pressure, complex environments such as business, healthcare, education, nonprofit, and government sectors.
Anyone who is seeking to lead with greater authenticity, cultivate resilient teams, address burnout, and create purpose-driven workplaces will benefit from this book.
It is also a meaningful resource for individuals aspiring to leadership roles who want to learn how to inspire trust, foster connection, and lead with both courage and compassion.
What are the main lessons a leader will take away from reading Heart-Led Leadership?
Heart-Led Leadership is a powerful call to reimagine the way we lead in today’s world. It challenges traditional models of top-down, performance-driven leadership and presents a new method that will teach leaders the following lessons, among many other things:
- How to lead with authenticity and compassion.
- How to move beyond authority-driven leadership and instead lead from a place of empathy, integrity, and genuine care, creating trust and stronger connections with their teams.
- Strategies for building resilient and engaged teams.
- Practical ways to address burnout, foster psychological safety, and nurture environments where people feel valued and motivated, even in times of uncertainty or change.
- How to create sustainable, purpose-driven work cultures.
- The tools for aligning organizational success with human flourishing, embedding values into daily leadership, and inspiring hope that carries beyond short-term goals to long-term impact.
What was the process of turning your expertise into a book?
It was tough to balance writing this book about leadership without seeming too arrogant and violating one of my key tenets: remaining humble. I struggled with a lot of self-doubt in the process. I kept thinking things like, Who cares what I have to say?
The coaches and the classes at selfpublishing.com have been extremely helpful in that regard. From navigating difficult tasks to maintaining accountability, the structure and support helped me overcome that imposter syndrome and write the book I always wanted to write.
To get it done, I actually took two weeks off of work to focus on building the framework and outlining each chapter. It was then nights and weekends spent writing and polishing to get the finished product.
What’s next for you?
Now that the Heart-Led Leadership is out, I hope to spearhead some training and speaking opportunities to help other leaders and organizations build solid heart-centered cultures. I’m passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders and advocating for mental health awareness worldwide. Using my book as a framework, I plan to do just that.
More information about Justin Chase:
With over twenty years of experience in human services, Justin is both a licensed social worker and a seasoned executive. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University, an MBA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.
His work has been guided by a commitment to compassion, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership.
Inspired to share your own story? Learn more about the book writing support, editing services, book coaching, and more she received as a part of the Author Advantage Accelerator Elite Program: Schedule a consultation today to find the right program for you and your book!
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