Breaking the Rules, Looking Within: The Leadership Rebellion of Chris Collins

Chris “Bulldog” Collins never intended to become a leadership voice—and he didn’t follow a polished path to get there either. There’s nothing conventional about his story. Not the early grind. Not the way he thinks. And definitely not the book set that’s flipping leadership theory on its head. He is breaking rules, building leaders and rewriting the language of leadership from the inside out.

Nicknamed “Bulldog” for his grit, tenacity and refusal to sugarcoat the truth, Collins built his reputation by tackling the tough issues head-on—whether in business transformation or leadership. He quickly became known as “the fixer,” the person who shows up when things break down, businesses lose traction, teams disconnect, leadership falls flat and needs to be rebuilt right.

Chris started where few stories like his begin: in a dealership car wash. But even then, Collins had a radar for what was broken beneath the surface—whether it was a process, a business, or the people inside it. By twenty-five, he was running one of the top-performing BMW dealerships in the US. Not because he played the game better than anyone else. But because he questioned it. Rebuilt it. And made it work on his terms.

Today, through his company Chris Collins Inc., he works with some of the most successful automotive service departments in the country. But titles and metrics only tell part of the story. Because what Collins really does—whether he’s coaching a team or speaking to an audience—is help people see what they’ve been avoiding. He brings clarity. Not through hype, but through honesty.

A street-wise strategist with the mind of a creative, Collins doesn’t rely on buzzwords or boardroom polish. He brings the kind of clarity that cuts through noise. The kind that makes people uncomfortable—then makes them move. Collins built his foundation not from theory—but from firsthand experience. “My approach is to shake things up because the conventional way of doing things often doesn’t work.”

The Book Set That Starts With You

A closer look at the mind—and mission—behind one of the boldest leadership book sets of the decade.

His latest creation, I Am Leader, isn’t your average leadership book—and that’s exactly the point. It isn’t just a leadership series—it’s a challenge. A reset. A dare. The only prerequisite? You have to be ready to stop pretending and start owning who you are. It’s part reflection, part workbook, part personal reckoning. At its core, I Am Leader is about doing the work that most leadership books skip: looking inward first.

A beautifully designed, thought-provoking hardcover book that sets the tone and challenges the narratives around what leadership really is. The first book, challenges you to slow down and examine how you’ve been showing up. The second calls you to lead differently—to stop defaulting to comfort and start operating with intention. Together, they form a kind of arc: from identity to impact. From inner clarity to real-world results. And in a world that often rushes to the external, I Am Leader dares to begin where it really counts—within.

The first book, titled I Am, focuses on personal awareness—breaking down the stories we’ve absorbed about leadership, power, success, and identity. It’s not framed around how to lead others—it’s about understanding how we lead ourselves. Collins invites the reader into a kind of internal audit: What beliefs are driving your decisions? Where are you showing up small or safe? What assumptions have you been carrying that might no longer serve you?

The idea isn’t to dive straight into strategies or team dynamics. It starts with the individual—pulling apart assumptions, calling out biases, and getting brutally honest about what’s driving you. Only then, once the inner work is underway, does the second book, Leader, move into leadership itself—not as a title, but as a practice rooted in clarity and direction. It’s not a guide to being more charismatic or likable—it’s about becoming effective. This part is tactical, but still rooted in self-awareness. Collins explores how to create alignment between who you are and the mission you’re serving. How to build a team not based on comfort or similarity, but based on values and outcomes. It’s about leading in a way that’s sustainable and real—not just performative.

It’s about alignment. About building something that actually works—starting with you, and extending to everyone around you. The book teaches you that leadership is about owning the result; it’s not about being liked—it’s about doing what works. “Complacency is my mortal enemy. I believe that forward progress demands meeting the next challenge head-on…and there is always one more challenge.”

A Different Kind of Authority

What sets Collins apart isn’t just his story—it’s his approach. He brings an artist’s eye to the way he talks about leadership, systems and growth. There’s design in everything he creates. Intentionality in every phrase. You see it in the visual language of I Am Leader. And you feel it in his delivery: firm, honest and unapologetically human.

He’s not interested in being anyone’s guru. He’s not performing for approval. What you get instead is someone who’s been in the trenches, worked through the mess, and built a way out worth sharing. “I don’t believe in finding new ways of doing the same old things. In fact, I believe in torching convention, breaking new ground, and establishing entirely new frameworks that blow away the competition.”

For Anyone Ready to Stop Waiting

The thing about I Am Leader is it’s not just written for executives or people chasing titles or influence. It’s for anyone who knows they’re stuck in old thinking, tired of playing small, or ready to lead themselves forward—even if no one’s watching. That could be a business owner, a teacher, parent, team member or freelancer. Leadership, for Collins, has less to do with where you sit—and everything to do with how you show up.

The Business of Disruption

Chris Collins doesn’t offer tips or hacks. He offers perspective. His version of leadership isn’t polished—it’s practical. It’s not dressed up in language. It’s rooted in clarity. And more than anything, it’s earned. Whether he’s walking into a broken business, helping someone write their personal code, or breaking down the lies we’ve been sold about what makes a leader—he’s doing it without compromise.

And that’s the point. I Am Leader isn’t trying to be universal. It’s not meant to be easy. But for the right person, at the right moment, it might just be the shift they’ve been waiting for. It’s not about becoming someone else. It’s about getting honest about who you already are—and leading from that place.

Ready to lead without the mask? Explore the I Am Leader book set and learn more at IALeader.com. Or dive deeper into his philosophy and work at ChrisCollinsInc.com