I have good news: the Lead Last audiobook is now available on Hoopla Digital!

Which brings up a fair question. What in the world is Hoopla?

I asked that same question when I first heard about it, so here’s the short version. Hoopla is a free app that lets you borrow audiobooks, ebooks, comics, music, movies, and TV shows with your public library card. You need a card from a library that offers it, but you don’t pay anything yourself. Your library covers the cost.

Here’s what I like about it.

No waitlists. Most digital library apps make you get in line for popular titles. With Hoopla, everything is available right away. If 200 people want the same audiobook, all 200 can borrow it.

It works wherever you are. Use the app on your phone or tablet, or listen on a computer. You can download a title for offline listening, which is great for road trips.

No late fees. When your loan ends, the title simply disappears from your device. Audiobooks are generally yours for 21 days.

One thing to know: your library sets a monthly borrowing limit, and it varies. Many libraries allow around five borrows a month, but some allow more or fewer. Check with yours so you don’t get caught by surprise.

How to find Lead Last on Hoopla

1. Get a library card from a library that offers Hoopla. Some libraries let you sign up online.
2. Download the Hoopla app, or go to hoopladigital.com, and enter your library information.
3. Search for Lead Last and tap Borrow.

Or skip the searching and go straight to it here: https://www.hoopladigital.com/audiobook/lead-last-olaolu-ogunyemi/20317296

What you’ll be listening to

Lead Last: Twenty-One Counterintuitive Principles for Becoming an Effective Leader runs just under four hours, so it fits into a few commutes, some carpool lines, or a long afternoon of folding laundry. I narrated it myself, and Amplify Publishing published it.

The core idea is simple, even if it sounds backward. The best leaders don’t chase titles, the spotlight, or shiny objects. They build people up, and they build themselves up first. That applies to your team at work and to your kitchen table, too. Your kids are watching how you lead long before they can explain what leadership is.

If you’ve been reading my posts on raising resilient kids, this is the same philosophy from a different angle. You can read more about the three questions I think every emerging leader has to answer here: https://leadershipcircle.com/blog/driving-repeat-results/

A favor

If you borrow it and enjoy it, a rating on Hoopla helps other people find it. And if your library doesn’t carry Hoopla yet, ask them about it. Librarians love hearing what their patrons want.

Now I’m curious: what’s the best thing you’ve listened to lately while doing something boring, like folding laundry or sitting in traffic? Drop it in the comments. I’m always looking for my next listen.