Necessary Burdens: Addressing the complexities of leadership by Dr. Barry H. Corey
About the book
Leadership looks impressive from the outside, but from the inside, it can feel isolating, relentless, and heavy. Senior leaders carry responsibilities no one else fully understands―decisions without peers, criticism without context, and pressure that follows them long after the workday ends. Necessary Burdens draws on decades of real-world leadership from two preeminent names in leadership and psychology, exploring unseen realities that come with authority: loneliness, identity strain, accountability, temptation, disruption, and the challenge of sustaining personal well-being while stewarding an organization. These pressures are not framed as failures or flaws, but as defining features of leadership itself.
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About the Authors
Barry H. Corey has served as president of Biola University, a top-ranked Christian liberal arts university, since assuming the role in 2007. He is the author of several books including The Treasurer: A Biography of Herbert Stewart Gray, and has contributed to notable publications like The Washington Post, and The National Review. With a Ph.D. in education from Boston College, Corey is a Fulbright scholar and a leader known for navigating cultural shifts in a polarized world. He and his wife, Paula, have three children: Anders, Ella, and Samuel, and reside in Southern California.
John Townsend, author of more than thirty books with over ten million copies sold, is a business consultant, leadership coach, relationship expert, and psychologist known for the New York Times best-selling Boundaries series with Dr. Henry Cloud. He hosts the Dr. Townsend Podcast and co-hosts New Life Live, offering practical solutions to complex personal and organizational challenges. He is the founder of the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling at Concordia University, Irvine. Dr. Townsend lives in Southern California with his wife, Barbie, and their two grown sons, Ricky and Benny.
Endorsements
“Most leaders are prepared for the weight of responsibility but not the weight of success. Necessary Burdens names what many of us feel but rarely say, and it reframes what we carry, not as obstacles but as tools. If you're leading at a high level, this book will help you make sense of your experience and find a path forward.”
Bobby Gruenewald
Founder and CEO, YouVersion
“With candor, humility, and insight, Barry Corey and John Townsend remind us that great leadership is not about avoiding burdens but learning to carry them well. Necessary Burdens is a wise and timely guide bringing clarity and compassion to the realities leaders often experience but rarely discuss openly. This is an encouraging and practical book for leaders seeking resilience, purpose, and integrity in demanding times.”
Barbara Mistick
CEO, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities;
Author of Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace
“Barry Corey and John Townsend have given leaders something we all know we need: the courage to name our burdens and the wisdom to carry them well.”
Eric Geiger
Senior Pastor, Mariners Church
"With rare vulnerability and hard-won wisdom, Barry Corey maps the hidden terrain of senior leadership, and John Townsend equips readers to navigate it — making this an essential resource for anyone navigating or hoping to navigate the unique responsibilities of peerless leadership."
Romanita Hairston
CEO, M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust
"Every leader I've known has felt the weight Barry Corey and John Townsend describe in Necessary Burdens. Few have named it this well. Whether you lead a semiconductor giant or a small team, this book will help you carry that weight with courage and faith."
Pat Gelsinger
Executive Chair at Gloo, General Partner at Playground Global and former CEO at Intel
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