The Antihero Advantage

“If you plan to lead, build, or create anything worthwhile—you’ll face Resistance. This book helps you prepare for that fight.”
— Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire and The War of Art

“You can’t manage others if you can’t manage yourself. And if you are in denial about your dark side, you definitely can’t manage it, let alone channel it for good. The Antihero Advantage will help you get real about what it takes to be your best self so that you can lead others.”
— Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and Radical Respect

“With this book, Bartholomew has done current and prospective leaders the significant favor of puncturing the traditional wisdom of what it takes to be successful at the undertaking. He shows how optimal leadership requires more than the conventional oversimplified, surface-level prescriptions. More than that, he offers a detailed playbook that reflects the nuanced nature of the leadership process and offers insightful ways to overcome its real-world complexities. The book constitutes a definite step up for the field.”
— Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

“The Antihero Advantage rejects polished leadership clichés in favor of a more honest truth: Effective leadership is messy, contextual, and rarely comes with a clear right answer. Brett Bartholomew shows how embracing our contradictions, understanding power, and adapting our communication can help us lead without losing ourselves. Practical, provocative, and refreshingly candid, this is a guide for anyone ready to stop performing leadership and start practicing it.”
— Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Hooked, Indistractable, and Beyond Belief

“Brett is the rare psychologically-minded person who tests the best evidence-based science on people performing at the highest levels of sport, business, and life. This book is the manual for everyone who wants to go past the basics, the ones who seek to move beyond just feeling happier and want to operate at the edge of what’s possible. Read it and be exceptional.”
— Dr. Todd B. Kashdan, professor of psychology at George Mason University and author of The Upside of Your Dark Side and The Art of Insubordination

“In my experience leading soldiers in complex environments, I learned that leadership rarely fits the heroic narratives we often tell ourselves. Brett Bartholomew’s The Antihero Advantage speaks to that reality. By exploring the human side of leadership—conflict, ego, influence, and adaptation—he offers a candid and practical perspective for anyone tasked with leading in a world where the answers are rarely simple.”
— General Stanley McChrystal, US Army, retired, and founder and CEO of the McChrystal Group

Brett Bartholomew is a bestselling author, communication strategist, and founder of Art of Coaching, a performance consulting company that works with leaders across professional and Olympic sport, the military, healthcare, technology, and Fortune 500 organizations.

With over twenty years of experience inside high-performance environments, he helps teams and executives develop practical strategies for navigating power dynamics, managing difficult personalities, and leading change. His doctoral research centers on strategic communication within complex organizations and high-stakes situations.

Brett lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his son and is the author of Conscious Coaching: The Art and Science of Building Buy-In.

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