What happens when the world’s most popular storyteller and a Vanderbilt research scientist decide to write a book together?
You get a New York Times bestseller and a framework that’s already changing how leaders navigate an unpredictable world.
Patterson is the world’s most popular storyteller, creator of Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, and dozens of other beloved characters. He’s co-authored #1 bestsellers with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, Michael Crichton, and Viola Davis, and holds the National Humanities Medal and ten Emmys. He’s also a Vanderbilt alumnus (MA, 1970) — the connection that first brought him and Patrick together.
That shared Vanderbilt bond grew into something bigger: Leddin and Patterson co-authored Disrupt Everything and Win and co-founded The Disruption Project at Vanderbilt University, built around a simple, shared conviction — disruption isn’t the problem, the status quo is. Together, they’ve turned that idea into a movement, blending Patterson’s storytelling mastery with Leddin’s leadership expertise to challenge how leaders think, act, and grow.
It started with a Zoom call, a pandemic, and a joke.
In the early days of COVID-19, Patrick was developing a crisis leadership course at Vanderbilt — Leading Business Through Times of Crisis — designed to help students navigate a world that had just been turned upside down. He needed guest speakers who had actually lived through disruption at the highest level. James Patterson, a Vanderbilt alumnus, agreed to join the class via Zoom.
350 interviews with positive disruptors worldwide. 35 case studies selected for the book. James Patterson’s narrative skill transformed rigorous academic research into stories people actually remember — and apply.
Patterson and Patrick didn’t just write about disruption — they practiced it. Their collaboration crossed the lines between academia and entertainment, research and bestseller lists, Vanderbilt classrooms and global stages. The partnership itself is proof of the concept.
The book’s insights aren’t limited to the page. The research behind Disrupt Everything forms the backbone of Patrick’s keynotes, work sessions, and the enterprise training program now available through FranklinCovey. When you bring Patrick in, you’re bringing a tested, research-grounded system — not theory.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES | USA TODAY BESTSELLER
Published by Little, Brown and Company | September 29 2025
Co-authored with James Patterson, the book draws on 350+ interviews with positive disruptors worldwide CEOs, first responders, artists, and grassroots innovators and translates their stories into a practical guide for taking control when the world refuses to slow down.
The audiobook, narrated by both Patterson and Patrick, runs 5 hours and 52 minutes and is available on Audible and all major platforms.
“Either you’re going to manage disruption or let disruption manage you. Because the speed of change is rapid and sudden — the rules of the game change overnight.”
— James Patterson
“My time here is short. What can I do most beautifully?”
— James Patterson | Personal Leadership Mantra
“Disruption doesn’t always mean dismantling what exists. Sometimes the most disruptive move a leader can make is choosing to stand firm and double down on a core commitment when everyone else is pivoting. Sometimes saying no is the most disruptive thing you can do.”
— Dr. Patrick Leddin
Vanderbilt University News
The official press announcement for the March 26, 2025 Langford Auditorium launch event, where Patterson and Patrick introduced the book to the Vanderbilt community.
Authority Magazine
A joint interview covering the origin of their collaboration, their shared philosophy on leadership and disruption, and what they hope readers take away.
Insight Out Podcast
Patrick unpacks the central argument of the book: that disruption, properly understood, is a force you can leverage rather than simply survive.
Audible
The full audiobook, narrated by both James Patterson and Patrick Leddin. 5 hours and 52 minutes.
The book is the starting point. If you want to bring the framework to your team through a keynote, a work session, or a custom engagement Patrick is available to deliver it live.
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