The Vagrant

The Inner Journey of Leadership: A Parable

By: Dan Rockwell, John David Mann

Narrated by: Dan Rockwell, John David Mann

A modern parable for ambitious people on the relationship between success and self-reflection from the coauthor of the acclaimed Go-Giver series and a renowned authority on leadership

Have you ever wondered, “If I could go back in time and talk to my twenty-year-old self, what would I say?” In The Vagrant, a brash young executive finds himself asking that exact question when his world is turned upside down.

From Dan Rockwell, creator of the popular Leadership Freak blog, and John David Mann, coauthor of the award-winning classic The Go-Giver, The Vagrant follows Bob, a bright, up-and-coming leader in the health care business who leads a team of forty at a large city hospital. When he’s called up to the seventh floor one fine spring morning, he fully expects a promotion in line with his C-suite aspirations.

Instead, he’s fired.

Moments after losing his job, Bob has a strange alleyway confrontation with a homeless man rambling about “the four impediments of the Apocalypse.” To Bob, his words are nothing but incoherent ranting, but they soon prove eerily prophetic. In the weeks that follow, Bob loses everything he holds dear—his apartment, possessions, reputation, and health—and ends up living on the street . . . until chance leads him back to that same alley and he crosses paths with the strange man once again.

In this timeless, eye-opening tale of redemption, Bob’s tailspin journey through loss and catastrophic failure invites listeners to examine the nature of genuine leadership and embark upon their own story of self-discovery.

©2023 Dan Rockwell and John David Mann (P)2023 G&D Media

Good

Good parable was a good progression for beginning to end, with lots of life, learning, and reflection included

Great story and well written

Meaningful and made you think The short was engaging and you couldn’t tell where is was going to lead next. Ended well. Loved the questions at the end of the book. This is a re-listen for sure.

Humility

This helped remind me that everyone is special. May I consider others as more important than myself. Don’t be so loud, don’t take up so much room. Lift others up.

A Thought-Provoking Parable with Engaging Insights

“The Vagrant” is a compelling parable, seamlessly weaving valuable lessons and reflective insights into a well-crafted narrative. This book really stuck with me, finding its way into my thoughts regularly—it’s clear that it has a powerful message and is incredibly engaging! Plus, the thoughtful questions at the end make for excellent reflection material, or even better, are great for team discussions.