When John U. Bacon played for the Ann Arbor Huron High School River Rats, he never scored a goal. Yet somehow, years later he found himself leading his alma mater’s downtrodden program. How bad? The team hadn’t won a game in over a year, making them the nation’s worst squad—a fact they celebrated. With almost everyone expecting more failure, Bacon made it special to play for Huron by making it hard, which inspired the players to excel. Then he defied conventional wisdom again by putting the players in charge of team discipline, goal-setting, and even decision-making – and it worked. In just three seasons the River Rats bypassed 95-percent of the nation’s teams.

View video clip of team here

A true story filled with unforgettable characters, stories, and lessons that apply to organizations everywhere, Let Them Lead includes the leader’s mistakes and the reactions of the players, who have since achieved great success as leaders themselves. Let Them Lead is a fast-paced, feel-good book that leaders of all kinds can embrace to motivate their teams to work harder, work together, and take responsibility for their own success.

Testimonials
“While the pandemic taught all of us what it’s like to be isolated, and the world polarizes around so many issues, our belief in the potential of younger folks to work hard and support each other has never been more important. John’s great stories show us why we need to work together to be successful. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and you will too.”
—Jim Hackett, CEO, Ford Motor Company

“Once in a great while you run into a teacher who sends new lessons to you fast and furious—lessons worth learning. John U. Bacon is one of those teachers. He took over a team that hadn’t won a single game the season before, and lost the four best players to graduation. With the same players, angry parents, and doubtful administrators, John was able to turn this program around by drawing on the power hiding inside all the players on that team.

Every leader who has thought ‘Why can’t I find good people?’ will benefit from this book. He is a masterful storyteller, but this isn't a sports story. This is a life story—personal, dramatic, impactful— that will set you on a leadership journey that you will absolutely love. Buy it, read it, live it and change your world for the better.”
—Richard Sheridan, CEO Menlo Technology, author, Chief Joy Officer

“If you get half as much out of John U. Bacon’s beautiful new book as I did, by the time you’re done reading you’ll likely have a very long list of practical tools and techniques to adapt to your workplace. From his concept of ‘layers of leadership’ to letting the players coach an entire game to the unforgettable epilogue, Let Them Lead is loaded with hands-on techniques, out of the box approaches, elegantly simple yet exceptionally powerful tips and tools that will help any leader make a more positive difference in their work—all interspersed with the quick, insightful bits of wit that John is so exceptionally adept at.

If we can do half as well implementing his ideas as he did, we will create the same kind of winning culture that will net us better bottom line results in the process. The story of how the River Rats went from worst to first is an inspiration to all of us! I can’t wait for the film!”
—Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman’s Deli co-founder and co-owner

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The A2Y Chamber Early Edition breakfast's interactive format brings the business and community leaders together to learn about industry leaders and issues facing the Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti community. Early Edition will be held the 3rd Wednesday of each of month at Weber's Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. 

As the Chamber eases back into in-person events, the safety and well-being of everyone is our first priority.  Based on the recommendation by the CDC and the Washtenaw County Health Department that everyone wear a mask in indoor public places, outdoor crowded settings, and follow social distancing guidelines, masks will be required at A2Y Chamber events.  We ask that you please be respectful of your neighbor, practice social distancing and avoid hand-shaking to protect one another and keep each other safe.  Due to the current increase in COVID numbers, a virtual option is available for this month's breakfast.