The Book
Whether you're a new manager or an experienced executive, this book offers a simpler, more practical way to lead.
Out now in paperback and ebook.
ISBN 979-8-9968321-0-1
Attention, Independent Bookstore Owners Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. Timeless Lessons from the Mahjong Table is distributed through IngramSpark and available to order through Ingram.
What if one of the world's oldest games held some of leadership's most enduring lessons?
Mahjong rewards preparation, observation, adaptability, emotional discipline, sound judgment, and human connection.
So does leadership.
In Ancient Game. Modern Leadership., Maureen Cahill reveals ten unexpected parallels between the Mahjong table and the leadership table—and translates each one into practical actions leaders can use immediately.
Early Praise
Drawing on decades in the trenches as a CHRO and advisor to senior executives, Maureen Cahill translates hard-won lessons into ten vivid, memorable parallels that speak directly to what leaders actually struggle with. Her book doesn't just teach leadership principles—it brings them to life, tile by tile.
Denise Lee YohnBest-selling author of FUSION: How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World's Greatest Companies
Maureen Cahill proves that leadership—like Mahjong—isn't simply an innate talent; it's a game we can learn to play better.
Aileen WilkinsChief People Officer, Arvest; former Chief People Officer, H&R Block
What sets Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. apart is its attention to the leadership lessons most of us learn through trial and error: navigating unwritten rules, reading organizational dynamics, adapting strategy, and balancing competing priorities. These are disciplines we often understand conceptually but neglect in practice. Maureen makes them visible and actionable, helping leaders learn sooner what experience might otherwise take years to teach.
Clark BarberEnterprise Growth Leader; former Vice President, DeVryWorks & Commercial Director, Gartner
Inside Every Chapter
The Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. Framework
A Closer Look
Step inside a full chapter—combining a leadership reality, a story from the Mahjong table, an executive case study, leadership perspectives, reflection questions, and practical actions you can put to work immediately.
Reader Resources
The reader resource library holds all ten leadership frameworks, the exclusive bonus chapter, and the practical “Put It into Play” worksheets — free with the book.
Questions
Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. by Maureen A. Cahill came out on October 27, 2026, in paperback and ebook. You can buy it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org, which supports independent bookstores.
No. Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. is a leadership book, and Mahjong is the lens rather than the subject. Readers who have never touched a tile follow every chapter without trouble — and will leave the book wanting to learn the game. Readers who play American Mah Jongg will recognize the moments — and probably see their own table differently afterward.
Few games reward observation, adaptability, emotional discipline, strategic thinking, and human connection as consistently as Mahjong does. Four players, incomplete information, a hand that has to change as the table changes — the parallels to leadership are direct and memorable. The game is also having a genuine cultural moment, with American Mah Jongg groups forming in cities across the country. Once you see the parallels, you'll never look at leadership or Mahjong the same way.
Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. organizes ten leadership practices across four phases — Set the Table, Read the Room, Play Your Hand, and Elevate the Game:
Maureen A. Cahill is an executive coach and leadership advisor with more than 30 years leading Human Resources, advising CEOs and CHROs, and working with organizations across nonprofit, higher education, privately held, private equity-backed, and Fortune 500 environments. She is the author of Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. and the founder of Dogwood Glen, a modern rustic event venue in Bentonville, Arkansas.
This book is written for every level of manager — including those who aspire to a leadership role. The ten practices in Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. apply whether you lead a team of two or an organization of thousands. New and emerging managers get a practical starting framework. Experienced executives get language for the instincts they already have and a structure for coaching others.
Practical, deliberately. Each chapter of Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. combines real leadership stories, an insight from the Mahjong table, perspectives from experienced leaders, reflection questions, and actions you can use the same week you read them.
Most leadership books introduce a new framework. Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. returns to ten practices that have always mattered — creating the right environment, observing carefully, adapting thoughtfully, regulating emotions, building relationships, and helping other people succeed — and uses an ancient game to make them stick. The Mahjong parallel gives readers a way to remember the principles long after they close the book.
Yes. The stories come from more than 30 years leading Human Resources, advising CEOs and CHROs, coaching executives, and working across nonprofit, higher education, privately held, private equity-backed, and Fortune 500 organizations. The book also features ten accomplished leaders across industries, functions, and career stages sharing candid accounts of what leadership actually required of them — the wins, the setbacks, and what they'd do differently.
Yes. Every chapter includes discussion questions and practical exercises, which makes the book well suited to leadership teams, executive development programs, MBA courses, and book clubs. Buyers also get a free resource library with all ten frameworks, worksheets, and a bonus chapter.
Absolutely. Organizations use Ancient Game. Modern Leadership. as the foundation for leadership workshops, team discussions, coaching engagements, onboarding programs, and manager development. The chapter structure — model, reflection questions, applied actions — maps directly onto a session agenda or a cohort program.
Yes. Bulk purchases are available for leadership development programs, conferences, executive retreats, and employee gifting. Maureen A. Cahill is also available for keynotes, workshops, and customized leadership sessions. Inquiries go through maureenacahill.com.
That great leadership comes from paying closer attention to the timeless practices that help people thrive. When leaders create the right environment, observe carefully, adapt thoughtfully, and build meaningful connections, better results follow.