The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health
A leadership fable by best-selling author Jim Brown for executives today trying to build trust, lead effectively, and build strong organizations.
“A deeply honest, highly practical, and distinctively human roadmap for leading organizations through a changing, disruptive world.”
Today’s leaders are feeling the strain. The workforce has changed—expectations, motivations, communication styles—but the habits of leadership often haven’t. Many CEOs and senior teams sense that what once worked no longer does. The Imperfect CEO invites you into that tension and offers a way through it, a climb that leads to organizational health.
The story follows David Slater, the same protagonist seen in author Jim Brown's previous best-seller, The Imperfect Board Member, who is now facing new challenges as CEO of a company where his previously successful leadership approach seems to be falling flat, and he doesn't know why. As David and his executive team confront their reality, readers witness the turning points that transform culture from guarded compliance into genuine collaboration.
These turning points build into the practical framework called the Ascent Model, a picture that clarifies what organizational health looks like and how to climb towards it together.
More than ever, people need leaders who are committed to health in their own leadership, their team’s, and the organization as a whole. If you sometimes wonder why it’s harder than ever to lead well—and how to reclaim the joy of leading again—this is your guide.
Coming May 2026
Available in hardcover and digital formats.
Praise for The Imperfect CEO
"The Imperfect CEO captures the tension many of us feel as leaders who care deeply about people and performance. I saw myself in these pages—especially in the moments where valuing people was mistaken for inattention to business. What I appreciated most was the practicality of the insights; these are ideas you can put to the test in the here and now. This book shows why collaboration and culture aren’t soft—they’re the backbone of lasting success."
―Shari Sekel, CEO, PenFinancial Credit Union
"The Imperfect CEO does for leadership what The Imperfect Board Member did for governance. Jim Brown lays out a clear pathway that guides leaders at any level to lead their teams to sustained fruitfulness, drawing out their team members' creativity and building the workplace environment that will keep them engaged and flourishing. As a senior leader, I found the book inspirational, affirming, and helpful."
―John Pellowe, CEO, Canadian Centre for Christian Charities
"In a fast-moving tech company, culture is everything. Jim Brown’s principles have helped our team lead with greater clarity and alignment. The Imperfect CEO distills those lessons brilliantly. Every leader should read it."
―Greg Apple, CEO, Amgine.ai
"After years in the C-suite, leading through complexity and transformation, I’ve learned this: culture isn’t a ‘soft’ variable—it’s the decisive one. In The Imperfect CEO, Jim Brown captures the real work of leadership with clarity and courage. He shows how humility, accountability, and trust shape performance far more than strategy decks or org charts ever will. This book isn’t about polishing perfection; it’s about building leaders and cultures that can actually thrive. Every CEO—and every leader who wants to be one—should read it."
―Monica Cohen, Executive Advisor & Speaker; former senior executive of a $24B enterprise
The Imperfect CEO releases in May 2026, available for preorder now.