Some milestones feel personal. Others reach deeper and speak to the very work that has shaped your life. Today is one of those moments.
Jay Jacobson, the former president of the Iowa Funeral Directors Association and now the owner of Jacobson Professional Staffing and Jay’s Cookies, announced in a news release that he is grateful to share that Lead by Legendary Example is now available on Amazon.
Here is the direct link.
In his announcement, he said, “For nearly four decades, funeral service has been the classroom where I learned what leadership truly requires. Not leadership in the abstract, but leadership in the rooms where families whisper their fears, in the back halls of the funeral home during long nights of preparation, and at gravesides where every gesture either builds trust or fractures it.
This book grew out of those lived moments. It was written early in the morning before first calls, late at night after services, and in seasons of both joy and uncertainty. It carries stories from preparation rooms, church basements, arrangement conferences, disaster sites, and the long drive home after a day that asked more from you than you thought you had to give.
And then, as the book was preparing to launch, my daughter Danielle posted something that reminded me why this work matters not only to the families we serve but also to the families who watch us serve. She wrote:
For months, Jay Jacobson has woken up early, stayed up late and, more than once, woken up from a dead sleep to work on a passion project: his very first book. And today, it is officially out in the world. I am just so damn proud of him. Congratulations, dad. Thank you for teaching me all the important things.
As funeral professionals, we spend our lives honoring other people’s loved ones. Hearing those words from my own daughter felt like a sacred moment. It reminded me that our work at the funeral home shapes more than the families we serve. It shapes the families who love us.”
A Leadership Book Written from the Inside of Funeral Service
Lead by Legendary Example is built on six pillars that funeral service professionals practice every single day:
Integrity, Presence, Vision, Servant Leadership, Adaptability, and Mentorship.
These are not theories from a business school. They are lessons forged in the most human moments a person can experience.
- Integrity is tested when you are alone with a decedent and no one will ever know how you carried yourself.
- Presence is required when a grieving spouse needs more silence than words.
- Vision shows itself when your team has to find new ways to serve a family whose needs do not fit the template.
- Servant leadership is lived in the unseen tasks: the polished hearse, the straightened chairs, the quiet guidance at the graveside.
- Adaptability is forced upon you when three first calls come in at once and you have to lead your team through it with steadiness.
- Mentorship is woven into every apprentice you guide, every new assistant you trust, every young professional who watches how you treat a family.
These are the pillars that hold our profession together. They are also the pillars that hold a leader together.
Why the Profession Needs This Book Now
Jacobson noted, “We are serving families in a world that is changing faster than any generation before us. Cremation trends, staffing challenges, shifting consumer expectations, price pressure, and heightened emotional needs have changed the landscape of funeral service. What has not changed is the need for leadership that is grounded, steady, compassionate, and real … Funeral service has always been a profession of heart. This book was written to strengthen that heart.
An Invitation to Funeral Directors, Owners, and Apprentices
According to Jacobson: If you serve families for a living, this book is for you, if you lead a team through long nights, difficult cases, or emotional strain, this book is for you — and if you want to cultivate a culture that honors both your staff and your community, this book is for you. Moreover, if you want to leave this profession stronger than you found it, this book is for you.
“My daughter’s words reminded me that what we model in our work also becomes part of our legacy at home,” he said. “What we practice in the funeral home shapes not only the families we serve but also the next generation watching us.”
He added, “If the message speaks to you, I invite you to order a copy, share it with your colleagues, and consider leaving a review so the message reaches other professionals who need it.”
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