Salvaged: Leadership Lessons Pulled from the Junkyard - Hardcover

Every story in this book is true.
Rats raining from the rafters . . . homemade bazookas launching tennis balls into space . . . Roy Goble has seen a lot. A successful entrepreneur, an experienced real estate investor, and a committed Christian, Roy is regularly sought out as a mentor for people who want to live faithfully and successfully. Now you can hop into his pickup and take a ride with him through 31 stories about following Jesus and leading in life.

Rich with insights from the Scriptures and the blue-collar business world, Salvaged inspires purposeful leadership―whether you’re in a junkyard, in a Silicon Valley corporate office, or anywhere in between.

“Nothing Roy does as a grown-up surprises me. . . . Leadership is built into his character, and he’s never tuned it out or turned it off.”
―From the foreword by Bob Goff

After growing up helping his dad with the family junkyard, Roy Goble took over the family’s real estate business. Since then, he’s continued to wrestle with the implications of following Jesus for business leaders and wealth creators. He is the CEO of Goble Properties, a director of PathLight International, and the author of Junkyard Wisdom.

The scope of Roy’s leadership journey is staggering. His stories will jar dormant parts of your brain into life, and his insights from those stories will have you thinking about leadership and following Jesus in new and refreshing ways. The pages of this book will make you laugh and drop your jaw, perhaps two of the most powerful ways to help us reimagine. (Nancy Ortberg, CEO of Transforming the Bay with Christ)

Entertaining, easy to read, down-to-earth, and authentic. The levity and stories of an era I remember all too well brought transparency and made for good reflection. The deep leadership takeaways were there in a vernacular that made them thought-provoking. (Al Miyashita, NYC city director of The Navigators)

Salvaged is the common-sense leadership guide you’ve been waiting for. I say “guide” because Roy doesn’t insist on one-size-fits-all conclusions. Rather, he explores the terrain of everyday leadership, from the junkyard all the way to the boardroom, and invites his readers along on the journey. By turns self-effacing, serious, and humorous, Roy encourages readers to ask better questions, to demand better answers, and most of all to laugh at themselves. No matter their occupation, readers will find the practical wisdom they need to take their leadership ability to the next level. (Mark Zoradi, CEO of Cinemark Holdings and former president of Walt Disney Motion Picture Group)

“This book sucks” . . . is something I’ve never said after reading one of Roy’s books. Not your typical regurgitated tome on leadership, Salvaged plunges deep into the reality of working with people―it’s a messy business, regardless of whether it happens in the boardroom or in the junkyard. With his trademark humor on full display, Roy uncovers deep truths about real-world, biblical leadership while also delivering a genuinely FUN read. His colorful characters and lighthearted parables are as memorable as they are entertaining―these are lessons that will actually stick! (Jon Beekman, CEO of Man Crates)

I’ve read very few books on leadership that help me in the unique and nuanced situations that arise each day, but Salvaged does exactly that. Roy Goble, like me, had a father who greatly influenced his leadership style. Now Roy looks back with the eye of a master storyteller, distilling his varied experiences into relevant lessons we all need. Being a results-driven, Jesus-following businessperson is not for wimps―but Jesus wasn’t a wimp either! (Jody Vanderwel, managing partner of Grand Angels Venture Fund II)

Salvaged is the leadership book I have been waiting for. Through the power of story, Roy uses humor, honesty, and the cold hard truth about teams, self-awareness, and working with people. This is a journey through life lessons and the wisdom that comes from turning wounds into the evidence of healing. The authenticity displayed by Roy makes you want to sit down with him to hear even more. You will be captivated by the examples and stories while thinking, I can’t believe he just said that. Salvaged is a refreshing read on leadership that lets you know you’re not alone and that even in the junkyard, you can turn a mess into a miracle. This is more than a leadership book; it’s a redeeming therapy session for anyone looking for a new way forward in the workplace and in life. (Romal Tune, author of Love Is an Inside Job: Getting Vulnerable with God)

Most books on leadership and faith are either too abstract (boring and impractical) or too folksy (lightweight and self-absorbed). Roy’s is neither. Instead, he deftly ties together hilarious misadventures, keen observations of human nature, and a close study of Scripture. The result is a book packed with memorable, practical leadership insights. No matter your job title, don’t overlook the wisdom that comes from this junkyard entrepreneur–theologian. This is a rare book written by a rare individual. (Josh Kwan, partner and cofounder of Praxis)

Roy Goble is one of the finest leaders I know! He grew up in a junkyard, which taught him that even the unlikeliest characters can get the job done . . . often right under the noses of the powerful and privileged. That’s what Roy sees in Scripture, too! Looking at the Bible through the lens of leadership―and vice versa―allows him to celebrate and cultivate the leadership ability of all people, regardless of their station in life. Although Roy is successful, he’s also humble, which is reflected in this book’s edgy sense of humor! This timely book is written from a grace-filled heart and years of practical experience. It’s a fresh and effective addition to our necessary conversation about true leadership, and not just for those our culture assumes will lead. I highly recommend it! (Brenda Salter McNeil, author of Roadmap to Reconciliation)

There are as many kinds of leaders as there are companies. What matters is not the style of a leader but rather the results. I know Roy to be a leader who drives the most essential sort of organizational growth: character. He may not know a thing about cloud technology, but I’d hire him tomorrow simply for his insights about people and purpose. (Antonio Neri, president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise)

Goble wrote a book? (Rich, junkyard coworker from back in the day)