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For busy executives who aspire to author a book, navigating the intersection of thought leadership and business leadership poses a unique challenge. Aside from the drive and determination to become a published book author, successfully navigating the demands of running a company while penning a compelling book requires strategic planning and effective time management.
Here, 17 Forbes Coaches Council members offer their best advice for leaders seeking to establish themselves as true thought leaders by writing a book. Check out their recommendations below to learn how to seamlessly integrate writing into a busy schedule while still excelling in a top leadership role.
1. Define Thought-Management And Business Priorities
A leader, CEO or entrepreneur can certainly write a book while continuing to run their company. Time-management and business priorities should be well-defined before you start writing the book. This will help eliminate overwhelm and guilt because you will have a time framework for when you will write and when you will manage and lead your company. - Andrea Bullard, Andrea Bullard & Company
2. Be Willing To Be Vulnerable
Apart from managing time efficiently (thanks to a few artificial intelligence and transcription tools), being willing to share not-so-flattering facets of one’s personality as a vulnerable leader and how this has helped grow one’s emotional intelligence capability not only humanizes the leader within the company they run, but also enhances the book’s authenticity and relatability. - Patricia Burlaud, P. Burlaud Consulting, LLC
3. Be Purposeful
Deeply reflecting on the purpose of your book for you and your readers will help you tap into the natural energy of the book. Set up your process for writing, structure your chapters and set milestones. Support yourself with audio notes and transcription technology. Be accountable for meeting key milestones and an end date, and find an accountability partner to support you through this journey. - Vandana Vishnu, Center for Creative Leadership
4. Write About Something Important To You
Write about something that is truly important to you. When we have a personal connection to the content, it is easier to stay engaged. On a logistics level, schedule your time to write and commit to it as if it were a client meeting. This will help you to develop a regular cadence and will make it easier to pick up where you left off. Lastly, use a mini recorder to capture ideas in between your writing sessions. - Eugene Dilan, Psy.D., DILAN Consulting Group
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Embrace Innovation
As someone who once wrote during demanding evening hours, my advice is to embrace innovation. Record thoughts during nondisruptive moments, embrace transcription services to create a book core efficiently and work on it. Options abound—consider hiring a ghostwriter or exploring book publishing services for a seamless journey in establishing thought leadership while steering the company. - Catherine B. Roy, LHM International by Catherine B. Roy
6. View Writing As An Extension Of Your Leadership
To successfully write a book while leading a company demands focus, mental preparedness and a strategy. Start with a clear vision of your book’s purpose and audience. View writing as an extension of your leadership. Prioritize and delegate work tasks to create space for writing. Consider hiring a ghostwriter or an editor to improve efficiency—and just start! - Dr. Flo Falayi, Korn Ferry
7. Define Your Topic And Key Takeaways
Establishing yourself through your first book starts with defining your topic and key takeaways. Then, collaborate with a self-publishing professional for content organization, formatting, editing, copyright and book launch so that you can stay focused on running your business. As a self-publishing guide for my own leadership clients, I simplify the process, offering support without overwhelming their schedules. - Morgan Massie, Leadership and Training Concierge
8. Grab Your Phone And Record Your Thoughts
For the busiest of my clients, I suggest this book kick-starter: Every time you think to yourself, “That was insightful,” or, “That had an impact,” grab your phone and record what you said. If it was something you heard or experienced, comment on why it matters. Transcribe the audio files and put your ideas into categories. Themes will emerge—and maybe even a chapter of your book! - Michele Moreno, Strategic Talks
9. Outline Your ‘Why,’ Then Leverage Technology
Define your purpose by clearly outlining why you want to write the book, and then, utilize technologies. Leverage dictation software, speech-to-text applications and project management tools to enhance the writing process. With these strategies, you can effectively manage both responsibilities and establish yourself as a thought leader through your writing. - Jay Garcia, Jay Garcia Group
10. Build A Knowledge Catalog First
Build your catalog first. Take a week to write down all the success and failure stories, quotes, advice and lessons learned on the topic that you’ve acquired over the years. This knowledge catalog will help you shape your point of view on the topic, provide interesting stories you can weave into the book and remind you that you already have a lot of content to start writing your book. You can do it. - Justin Patton, The Trust Architect Group
11. Try To Gain Name Recognition And Interest
If writing a book is your desired path to thought leadership status, I would advise you to use one of the increasing numbers of AI assistants or plug-ins, which can help someone write a book quickly compared to traditional approaches. I would also encourage you to explore blogging, podcasting, online events and speaking engagements to garner name recognition and interest. - Barbara Anne Gardenhire-Mills, Purpose-Filled Solutions & Evolutions
12. Delegate To Free Up Time To Write
Prioritize tasks and delegate responsibilities to free up time for writing. Form a dedicated team to assist in the book’s creation, offering feedback and support. Develop a clear framework, focusing on unique leadership insights and personal experiences. Consider employing a ghostwriter to streamline the process. Utilize your professional network to enrich the content and gain diverse perspectives. - Farshad Asl, Top Leaders, Inc.
13. Start By Writing 500 Words A Day
The fact that you want to write a book is reason enough to start. Start by writing just 500 words a day. That’s roughly one page on any standard Word document. If you do this for a year, even after throwing out all the clutter of ideas, you’ll have a book ready. On most days, you’ll surprise yourself by writing more than 500 words because the idea that you are trying to convey just flows over the minimum word count. - Vinesh Sukumaran, Vinesh Sukumaran Consulting
14. Do Not Try To Be A Guru
Too many people write a book in the hope of becoming a thought leader without focusing on the real purpose of a book that would make somebody a thought leader: the actual content that delivers so much value that the readers can save a lot of time, money and hassle by learning from the author. Concentrate on making a difference instead of trying to build a personal cult. - Csaba Toth, ICQ Global
15. Utilize The Power Of Microsteps
If you want to write a book, write a certain number of words per day. When you get comfortable with the initially chosen number, double it. Make sure your writing endeavor is time-bound—know when you need to submit the first draft, when you ideally want your book to be published, and everything in between. Don’t wait for the muse; rely on discipline instead. - Alla Adam, Alla Adam Coaching
16. Have A Book Proposal Ready For Publishers
This situation resonates very much with me, as I am currently running my company and at the same time writing a book. What helped in the beginning was to have the book proposal ready to submit to various renowned publishers; and once the publishing contract was signed, it helped to set clear goals (for me, a chapter a month). There will be days you may feel overwhelmed, but it’s part of the process. - Michele Damone, Nature Motivation
17. Start Marketing The Book Now
I would tell leaders wanting to write a book to start marketing the book now, and then begin writing it. By doing this, they would set a clear deadline for when it needed to be completed while building momentum for future book sales and creating an opportunity to sell advance copies. Additionally, I would ensure they began by creating the table of contents to use as an outline. - Lisa Marie Platske, Upside Thinking, Inc.
