Skip to content 
Leaders often carry the weight of success, strategy, and emotional labor on their shoulders in today’s high-pressure world. But what happens when those shoulders give way? In one of the best leadership books of recent times—”Why Leaders Fall: A Journey Through The Redwoods,” Robert N. Tullar delivers a rare and raw look into the phenomenon of leadership burnout.
Instead of relying on generic business models or case studies, Tullar draws wisdom from one of nature’s most powerful metaphors: the towering redwood tree. Through this vivid analogy, he guides readers through a journey of strength, collapse, restoration, and ultimately—transformation. For anyone curating a list of leadership books to read in 2025, this one belongs at the top according to its best strategies.
Rooted Leadership and the Silent Spread of Burnout
Tullar introduces burnout not as a sudden collapse, but as a gradual erosion—comparable to a redwood slowly weakening from within. Redwoods are some of the tallest trees on Earth, but their fall is rarely caused by external storms alone. More often, it’s internal: root decay, hidden damage, or years of unseen wear.
The same is true for leaders. As explored in this powerful entry among the best leadership books, burnout begins subtly—skipped family dinners, sleepless nights, neglected values. Over time, this erosion spreads beneath the surface until one day, the leader falls. And like a massive redwood crashing in the forest, the damage ripples outward—impacting families, teams, and entire organizations.
A Deeper Look: What Really Causes the Fall
Tullar’s book identifies three key root causes behind leadership burnout:
- Isolation
Redwoods prosper because their roots intertwine with those of neighboring trees. Likewise, strong leaders draw nourishment from their support systems. Yet many leaders mistakenly correlate strength with solitude. They cut themselves off from advisors, mentors, friends—even family. Tullar warns that isolation slowly hollows out the leader from within.
- Imbalance
According to Tullar, imbalance is one of the quietest killers of leadership. The obsession with output—whether profit, performance, or power—often comes at the cost of spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. This imbalance erodes values and weakens judgment, ultimately triggering collapse.
- Neglected Values
Without nurturing a solid foundation of character and conviction, leaders become vulnerable to external pressures. In one of the best books on leadership to address moral grounding with such clarity, Tullar shows how forgotten principles can become the very cracks through which burnout seeps in.
From Falling to Rising: Burnout Recovery in the Best Leadership Books
Unlike other texts that focus solely on prevention, “Why Leaders Fall: A Journey Through The Redwoods” goes a step further. It explores the possibility of restoration. Tullar reminds us that while redwoods stay down once they fall, human leaders have a rare gift—the capacity to rise again. This restoration process includes:
- Honest Reflection:
Leaders must first face their failures without defensiveness or blame.
- Repairing the Root System:
Tullar emphasizes the rebuilding of support networks, spiritual health, and character alignment.
- Pacing and Prioritizing:
Recovery means resisting the urge to “bounce back fast” and instead restoring gradually—with intention and wisdom.
In terms of real-world application, this philosophy positions Tullar’s book as one of the best leadership books to read for both seasoned professionals and emerging leaders alike.
Burnout Is Not the End—It’s the Beginning of Conscious Leadership
One of Tullar’s most compelling ideas is that a fall does not signal the end of a leader’s influence. Instead, it can mark the beginning of a more conscious, connected, and balanced style of leadership. This insight transforms his book from a cautionary tale into a restorative guide and elevates it among the best books for leadership skills development in 2025. He urges leaders to:
- Embrace rest and reflection as leadership tools—not weaknesses.
- Reconnect with family, faith, and personal calling.
- Value emotional and spiritual wellness as part of leadership maturity.
These aren’t abstract ideals; they’re actionable shifts that can reshape how leadership is practiced in our modern, burnout-prone world.
Why This Belongs Among the Best Leadership Books of 2025
Tullar doesn’t just write about leadership—he writes about humanity. His redwood metaphor grounds the book in a language everyone can understand, while his personal anecdotes bring vulnerability and authenticity to each chapter.
In a publishing world filled with performance hacks and leadership formulas, “Why Leaders Fall: A Journey Through The Redwoods” speaks directly to the soul of leadership. It’s not just about avoiding failure—it’s about finding wisdom, identity, and rooted strength in the midst of it. That’s what makes it one of the best leadership books to engage with in 2025.
What truly sets this book apart from even the best books about leadership is its insistence that leadership isn’t measured by your position, income, or followers—but by the health of your roots and the legacy of your growth.
Building Burnout-Proof Leadership: Lessons That Last
In his final chapters, Tullar equips leaders with practical frameworks to prevent future collapse. He encourages:
- Daily Balance Checks:
Where is time going? What’s being neglected?
- Family-Integrated Planning:
Involving spouses or children in goal-setting to keep life balanced.
- Spiritual Grounding:
Seeking regular stillness, prayer, or mindfulness to reconnect with purpose.
- Accountability Relationships:
Building a safe circle of truth-tellers who challenge and encourage.
These strategies don’t just prevent burnout—they elevate leadership itself. Few other titles, even among the best books about leadership, take such a holistic approach to the emotional, spiritual, and ethical aspects of leading.
Final Takeaway: Burnout Is a Signal, Not a Sentence
The fall of a redwood is a forest-wide event—and so is the fall of a leader. But as Robert N. Tullar reminds us, unlike trees, we can rise again, wiser and more rooted than before. His message redefines failure as feedback and burnout as a sacred invitation to slow down, listen, and rebuild.
If you’re searching for the leadership books of 2025 that go beyond tactics and speak directly to the inner life of a leader, this is the book. It will not only make you rethink what it means to lead—but what it means to endure, heal, and grow.
