I never thought I’d be the person giving advice on writing a book. Honestly, it still feels a little surreal that Lead without Blame is now several years old. I remember when it was just a messy Google Doc and a lot of self-doubt.
Now, as I get closer to finishing a second book (okay, not that close, but there’s finally an end in sight), I keep coming back to the same thought: more people should write books. Not because it’s easy, because trust me, it’s not. But because of what it gives you on the other side.
But as I now am getting closer (ok, not that close but there is starting to be an end in sight) to a second book, I’m realizing that I want to be actively encouraging others to consider writing a book.
Here’s what becoming an author actually did for me, professionally:
- A deeper understanding of my own ideas. Writing forces you to fully work out what you actually think.
- More visibility. A book opens doors that a resume or LinkedIn post never will.
- Unexpected opportunities. Speaking invitations, conversations, collaborations.
- Increased confidence. I had to change my narrative that I wasn’t a writer, that I did have something worth sharing.
- A way to help people. A conversation helps one person. A book keeps helping people long after you publish.
In a lot of ways, this list overlaps with the benefits of speaking. But there’s one thing a book gives you that a talk never will: permanence. A talk lives in the room it was given in. Even a great one starts fading the moment people walk out. A book doesn’t work that way. A book is physical. It sits on a shelf to be picked up today or even years later. You know it’s there, ready, to help when they need it. Everything else about being an author is temporary and fluctuating (sales, invitations, attention, etc). The book itself just is, and it stays. And I didn’t realize I cared about that until now.
If there’s a version of you that’s been circling the idea, consider this your nudge.
What book will you write?
