What I Learned Writing a Book
“Thrilling, terrifying, altogether great. Nine months after publishing my first book, that’s my assessment of the author experience,” says Jonathan Berman in his most recent Harvard Business Review article “What Writing a Book Taught This Consultant”.
And I totally agree.
As Michael Gerber of E-Myth Fame put it, “write a real book”; that’s what I did. I embraced similar ideas that Berman lists in his article and made them my own:
Tell a Story. Most of my examples are stories – things that have happened to my clients and things I’ve helped my clients with. They are the reason I was able to make my book so applicable to real life!
Embrace Risk. As Berman puts it: A slam-dunk is not a meeting in which you stun the client into silence with your brilliance. It’s one in which you spur the right conversation and debate. The contrary finding is one of the most important ideas you will bring to a client. They may not agree with you, but they will think anew with you. I hope that The Prosperous Leader will lead to many conversations that would not have otherwise taken place. My goal is to inspire deeper thought, personal growth, and prosperity.
Listen Better. The better part of my book focusing on listening better: to yourself, to others, to the world. Growth does not happen without listening to what others have to say, and using that information for personal and professional growth.
Allow Emotion. Part 1 of The Prosperous Leader discusses finding your strengths and weaknesses. I discuss your emotions, emotions of others, and working together amidst emotions. As I explain in Chapter 4, “being resilient comes down to understanding the thoughts that precede our emotions and being able to change the underlying thinking—to cut off those thoughts before they turn into emotions”.
Don’t Make it All About You. “Consulting is about others – the client, your partners, and your teammates,” says Berman. In The Prosperous Leader I use my stories and examples to speak about my readers and clients to keep myself grounded and make sure I’m focusing on the best way to help you become a prosperous leader.
