Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Farber.
Hi Steve, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story has always been shaped by a deep interest in people—what inspires them, what connects them, and what helps them bring their best to whatever they’re doing.
35 years ago, I started my career inside the world of leadership development, working closely with teams and executives who were trying to create cultures where people could genuinely thrive. Over time, those experiences taught me that leadership isn’t an abstract skill set; it’s a lived practice rooted in values and relationships.
That realization became the foundation for my writing and eventually for my books The Radical Leap, The Radical Edge, Greater Than Yourself, and Love Is Just Damn Good Business, which opened the door to speaking, coaching, consulting, and partnering with organizations around the world.
My body of work is called Extreme Leadership, which utilizes the Radical LEAP framework to teach people and companies how to cultivate Love, generate Energy, inspire Audacity, and provide Proof in everything they do.
Over the years, I’ve helped leaders and teams apply these ideas in practical, human ways. I’ve learned that leadership isn’t theoretical; it’s deeply personal. And it is fundamentally an act of operationalizing Love as a strategy, practice and discipline.
Running alongside all of that has been another lifelong thread: music. I’ve been writing songs for as long as I can remember, though for many years it stayed quietly in the background while I built my “official” career. At a certain point, it became clear that music wasn’t a separate lane—it was another expression of the same things I care about most: storytelling, honesty, emotional connection, and the courage to put something meaningful out into the world. So, I started recording and releasing my songs and performing them wherever people wanted to listen—including in my keynote speeches, which I’ve delivered all around the world.
Today, I stand in a place I couldn’t have planned at the start: a career that blends writing, speaking, coaching, and songwriting into one integrated path. Whether I’m working with executives or standing on a stage with a guitar, my goal is the same: to create experiences that move people, open them up, and remind them of what really matters in their relationships and their work.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been smooth. Rewarding, yes. Linear and easy, no.
One of my biggest struggles early on was simply the fear of not being taken seriously when I used the word “love” in a business context. When I first started talking about Extreme Leadership and LEAP, I assumed that most people would be uncomfortable with the idea that love could—and should—be central to business leadership. I had to choose whether to soften the language to make it more palatable or stay true to the message. I chose to stay with it, and I discovered, surprisingly, that there was actually very little resistance to the idea.
Also, I had the common challenges of managing my psychology and sustaining my energy. Writing books while traveling to speak, consulting with clients, and later bringing music more publicly into the mix required a lot of juggling. There were stretches of doubt: Is anyone really reading this? Is this making a difference? Can I sustain this pace without burning out or phoning it in? Learning how to manage my own energy—not just talk about Energy as part of LEAP—was a long learning curve. It still is.
And then there’s the vulnerability. I strive with all my heart to be a living example of what I’m asking others to do. It’s a very high bar, and I’m far from perfect in that pursuit. So, when I write books like Greater Than Yourself, which calls people to invest deeply in others, or my new book The Radical Promise (co-authored with Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner—coming from Wiley in the fall of 2026), which calls for people to consistently and unflinchingly do what they say they will door, I open myself up to the critical judgement of others. Or when I stand on a stage and perform my original songs, I’m risking rejection or maybe even ridicule.
To be sure, there have been missteps, quiet rooms, resistant audiences, and projects that didn’t land the way I hoped. But those moments forced me to sharpen the ideas, deepen the work, and challenge myself to be better at living the same principles I ask others to embrace.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Extreme Leadership Institute?
At the core, I help leaders and organizations operationalize Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof in the way they actually do business. The LEAP framework is the backbone:
• Cultivate Love: Cultivating genuine care for the people you serve and the work you do.
• Generate Energy: Generating momentum, enthusiasm, and a sense of possibility.
• Inspire Audacity: Having the courage to take bold, meaningful risks for a cause that matters.
• Provide Proof: Backing it all up with behavior, results, and follow-through that people can see and trust.
I specialize in turning those ideas into concrete practices: leadership development programs, culture-change initiatives, workshops, keynotes, and long-term partnerships where we align everyday behaviors with the values on the wall. My books are often used as a roadmap for this work, because they connect the emotional side of leadership to tangible outcomes—customer loyalty, team performance, and long-term growth.
Another pillar of my work is the Greater Than Yourself approach: intentionally choosing people you will invest in so deeply that they may surpass you. That has shown up in mentoring relationships, internal talent pipelines, and cultures where lifting others up is not a slogan but a norm.
I’m most proud of the stories that come back from the field: the leader who rebuilt trust with a team after admitting and repairing a broken promise; the company that shifted from a fear-based, failing environment to one that becomes a “Best Place to Work”; the individual who picked up a guitar again or started a passion project because they finally felt permitted to bring their whole self to their work.
What sets my work apart is the combination of rigor and humanity. The ideas are grounded in experience and results, but they’re delivered through story, interaction, and, increasingly, music. A keynote might move from a leadership framework to a true client story to a song that captures the emotional core of the message. That multidimensional approach helps people not just understand the concepts but feel them—and that’s where lasting change tends to begin.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
If you’re just starting out—whether in leadership, business, or a creative path—my first piece of advice is to treat your values as non-negotiable and your tactics as flexible. The specifics of your job, your industry, or your platform will change. What shouldn’t change is your commitment to how you want to treat people and the kind of impact you want to have.
Here are few concrete things I wish I had understood earlier:
• Lead with Love sooner. I eventually built an entire framework and book around love in business, but it took time to fully own that language and live it openly. Don’t wait for permission to care deeply about your work and the people around you. When you lead with Love, you create trust and loyalty that no strategy alone can buy.
• Manage your Energy deliberately. Over time I’ve learned that if my own Energy is depleted, I’m not much use to anyone. Build practices—rest, meditation, fitness, learning, creative outlets—that keep you replenished. It’s not selfish; it’s stewardship.
• Be Audacious in a targeted way. You don’t need to take reckless leaps, but you do need to take real ones. Say yes to the project you’re not 100% “ready” for. Share the idea that feels slightly beyond your comfort zone. Start the thing you’ve been postponing until you feel more qualified. Growth rarely comes from playing it perfectly safe.
• Let your Proof speak daily. Do what you say you’re going to do. Honor your commitments—even the small, seemingly inconsequential ones. Over time, that track record becomes your brand. People will trust you with bigger opportunities not because of your pitch, but because of your pattern of follow through.
Finally, find people you can make “greater than yourself.” Don’t just look for your own mentors; be one. Look for people you can champion, teach, and lift up. When your success is tied to the success of others, the journey becomes richer, more resilient, and far more meaningful.
Pricing:
- Email [email protected] for pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stevefarber.com; www.extremeleadership.com; and www.stevefarbermusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevefarber/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevefarber
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefarber/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@farberschannel
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2sHt9NnKBq4yHdvo7Psf1T
