WELCOME TO:
“Courage to Leap & Lead…the Newletter”
This monthly periodical is focused on implementing courage to make a difference in organizations and in life.
Each month we feature different thought leaders in all fields who will share acts of courage.
Leaders who will inspire us find the courage to meet our dreams, goals, and profit margins; with the full rigor that leads to success.
Edition V
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Does it take courage to write a book?
- Part 1: Courageous Leadership: Sir Shackleton
- Part 2: Interview: “Exploring Leadership Courage” with Rick Petry
- Book of the Month: “The Earned Life” by Marshall Goldsmith
- Upcoming Podcast & Live Streams: May 2022 “Interviews with Courage Thought Leaders”
DOES IT TAKE COURAGE TO WRITE A BOOK? YES!!!!
Each month I will share my journey to have the courage to write a book. My goal is to inspire you to find your courage in life’s odyssey!
The Courage to Leap & Lead©️ – Introduction chapter…
Why Me?
“I am not courageous!” This had been my response for many years of my existence whenever people told me I had courage. I disagreed with them!
There were several reasons for this thinking: I was in denial, I never understood what the word courage meant; I was stuck in the impostor syndrome; I am a black woman that simply did what needed to be done to survive.
To survive in a fashion that allowed me to buy my first house...
𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 I 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒑𝒖𝒕. Please comment below.
This is how I begin my book about courage. The only question is did I have the courage to write a book? As I started what seemed like an easy journey became even more daunting. As I started my research about publishing a book I realized that it was not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. Who knew that even if you are thinking of self-publishing there are so many things to consider before you even open your computer. There is even more to consider while you are writing the book. Then there is the last great hurdle, publishing your masterpiece.
For example: Is your title SEO friendly?; Selecting A Cover Designer; Pagination; Decisions About Your Audience; How to Reach Your Audience; Selecting a Publisher (i.e., Trade Book Publishers; Bargain” Book Publishers; Textbook Publishers and Academic Publishers; Professional Publishers; Self-Publishing Services; Hybrid Publisher, etc. Selecting Designs/ materials: Paperback: A softcover in color. Hardcover, etc. Identifying a Book Layout Designer: This refers to someone who works on the interior look of books!; Selecting an editor, OOPS! multiple editors. Did you know that there are at least 4 types of editors?!… i.e.,
- Copy Editing. Copy editing includes checking/correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and word usage while preserving the meaning and voice of your original text. … They’ll also check for clarity, and inconsistencies, and they’ll cross-check references to figures, tables, and pictures.
- Developmental Editing: Developmental editing includes coordinating and overseeing a project from start to finish. This can also include helping you develop a plot for a novel and set deadlines.
- Substantive Editing: Structural edits ensure your arguments are clear, your plot is developed, and your information is presented logically and accurately.
- Proofreading: Proofreading is the final step in the editing process, and includes checking for any final errors and inconsistencies that may have slipped through during previous edits. https://btleditorial.com/2016/09/28/four-types-editing-need
The list of touchpoints is endless or seems to be. YES, it takes courage to publish a book!… The concentration; things you need to give up; the time; life shifts; setting aside money; I promise you that this is only the shortlist!
During a conversation with a friend, and mentee, Brandon Lloyd (former NFL player) he challenged my courage …WAIT! NO ONE CHALLENGES MY COURAGE, WELL HE DID! Brandon let me whine, BUT ONLY FOR A N.Y.
Jeremy came into my life on a white horse and encouraged me to visit his website…OMG! Jeremy offered one-stop shopping from a book writing coach to book publishing! My courage now had support:)!
Here is an article from Jermey which helped me start:
“5 Strategies That’ll Help You Write Your Business Book Faster”
If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, you’re probably eager to get started and excited about the prospect of becoming an author. After all, the benefits of writing a book are numerous, from building your personal brand to transforming your business and expanding your visibility online.
But the reality is, that most people don’t know how to go about writing a business book. It’s not as simple as sitting down at your computer, opening a word processor, and composing a manuscript. You need to have an outline in place, you need to know how to research and write with authority, and you need to have a solid understanding of the different components that make up a book.
If you’re ready to take your book marketing efforts to the next level, then keep reading. We’ve got five actionable tips that’ll help you write your business book faster.
Conduct market research. One of the most important steps you can take when writing a business book is to conduct market research. Not only will this give you a better understanding of your audience, but it will also allow you to tailor your marketing efforts to fit the right readers.
There are a number of ways to go about this, but one of the easiest methods is to conduct surveys. You can use tools online like SurveyMonkey or Typeform, to conduct online surveys and get valuable market insights.
Another important part of your market research is learning about your competitors. What do their books cover? What are their audiences’ expectations? What are their selling points?
Getting to know your competitors will come in handy later on when marketing your own book, as it’ll allow you to better connect with your audience.
Outline your book before you start writing. You’ve probably heard this advice before, but it’s true nonetheless. Before you start writing your book, outline every chapter.
Outlining your book will help you stay focused, avoid writer’s block, and prevent you from getting side-tracked by tangents. This is especially important if you’re writing a non-fiction book, as a novel can easily grow without logical reasons.
By outlining your book, you’re also ensuring that each chapter flows naturally from the next. If you’re not careful, you could end up with a book that’s full of gaps and rambling sentences, avoid this. Outlines will help you stay organized, and keep your book concise and to the point.
Assign keywords to every chapter of your book outline. It’s important to have keywords assigned to every chapter in your book. In fact, you could even create a special book structure document that contains these keywords. These keywords are some key ideas that must be covered for that chapter to be sure each chapter is in alignment and doesn’t drift off-topic.
Heading into keywords can be daunting for some authors, but it doesn’t have to be. You can assign keywords to each chapter when you complete your full book outline.
Write a synopsis of your book. Writing a book synopsis is optional, but it’s a great way to get everything organized in your mind.
A synopsis is essentially a brief summary of your book that lets readers know what the book is about and what they can expect. Summaries are especially helpful when beta readers are reading your work, as they’ll allow you to focus on the parts of your book that are most important.
You can use these book summaries to both help you structure your book and as an outline for what’s inside.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback. Getting honest, constructive feedback is something that all authors should receive. But when you’re just starting out, you might be afraid to ask for it.
Remember, you have every right to share your work and ask for feedback. When you’re comfortable doing so, you can start asking colleagues, peers, and authors you respect for their thoughts on your writing.
The more you receive feedback, the easier it will be for you to identify and correct any issues with your writing.
Ready to write faster? Writing a business book isn’t a simple task, but it doesn’t have to be difficult either. With a little effort and perseverance, you can produce a quality book that your audience will value.
The tips and hacks we’ve outlined in this post will help you write your book faster and help you create a better final product. So, are you ready to start writing?
Article written by Jeremy C. Jones, a proud military veteran, is also a family man and entrepreneur who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. His accomplishments include being a four-time #1 Best-Selling Author on Amazon, hosting the popular podcast “Ideas & Impact,” and founding and serving as CEO of Jones Media Publishing and AuthorityCoach.com.
Part 1: Courageous Leadership: Sir Shackleton
By Rick Petry
One of the most storied 1900s employment ads read, “Men wanted: for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.” – Sir Ernest Shackleton
Sir Shackleton reportedly ran this advertisement seeking men to join him on his now-famous Endurance expedition to the South Pole. As the ad describes, this was no ordinary employment opportunity, the working conditions were certainly less than ideal, and the success of this expedition would require something much more than an ordinary leader. Indeed, its success and the survival of the crew would require nothing less than a courageous leader.
If there was ever a time after the voyage of the Endurance that the world needed courageous leaders, that time is right now. In Shackleton’s case, he and his men departed from London in August 1914 and set sail on their way to the Antarctic continent. By January 1915, they were a mere 80 miles from their destination, and so close that they could see the Antarctic Coast. This placed them closer to the South Pole than anyone before had ever been. That’s when things took a turn for the worse and ice formed around the ship’s hull leaving the Endurance icebound with no way to free itself. Thus, Shackleton and his men found themselves stranded in the frozen ocean.
The COVID pandemic left the entire world in a situation much like Shackleton and his crew found themselves trying to find a positive way out. Here, people were isolated in their homes, afraid of the unknown, and trying to find ways to work from home, educate their children from home, and survive the greatest pandemic in the past 100 years.
Some even lost loved ones. Add to this a global demand for racial justice and a war in Ukraine and there is no doubt that the events of the past couple of years have given rise to incredible changes in the way we do business and in the way we live our personal and professional lives. Hope as we might for a safe return to the way “things used to be,” the likelihood of a return to normal is unlikely. Instead, much like the situation Sir Shackleton and his men faced, the likelihood of ongoing change and disruption is strong.
For executives and coaches, this is a time to take note of how all these changes have impacted the people placed in our care. As leaders, critically important aspects of our responsibilities are to create safe spaces for our people to thrive in even during the chaos and create a vision for a positive future that gives people hope. Because we are humans leading humans, as leaders we also have to deal with our own fears and challenges while leading our people and our organizations forward.
For Shackleton to lead his crew out of the frozen sea and return them safely to their families, literally through life-threatening conditions for months, a tremendous amount of vulnerability and courage was required. For leaders of today, courage is also required. The courage to step up and lead even when you are neither certain about the conditions that lay ahead nor the best way to achieve your desired outcomes. Times like these where people around the world are demanding social justice also require the courage to be a champion for change, even when such change, as it often does, requires people to be uncomfortable. Uncomfortable acknowledging the past and uncomfortable letting go of the status quo.
Tackling the kinds of challenges we face now can make leaders feel vulnerable. What if I’m not sure what to do or I decide to become a champion for greater diversity within my organization and not everyone is on board with my decision? If you find these questions or others that make you feel vulnerable during these challenging times, you are not alone. The good news is that courage and feeling vulnerable can go hand-in-hand. Certainly, Shackleton faced similar questions, yet he safely led his crew back home, despite losing his sunken ship to the frozen ocean.
My questions for you are: Will you have the courage to face whatever challenges show up next in your organization, even if you feel vulnerable? Can you safely lead your people to a better and brighter future?
Part 2: “Exploring Leadership Courage” with Rick Petry
I am on a mission to train leaders who want to help build a world in which the vast majority of people across the globe wake up every day inspired to step into their greatness, feel safe, and supported.
They want to feel cared about when they are at their jobs and when they return home to their families and friends. At the end of each day they want to feel fulfilled by the lives they’ve touched and the work they do.
Book of the Month
It is not surprising that my dear friend Marshall knocked it out of the ballpark again with shared knowledge and inspiration.
I first interviewed Marshall on my podcast CB LIVE about “The Earned Life” in 2021 (youtu.be/E9rvHnXrwFA) and I could not wait for the release of his book.
My greatest takeaways were:
1. Be here NOW!
2. Be happy NOW!
3. You get what you earn in life, but expect nothing!
4. Celebrate life NOW!
Marshall inspires us all to step up our game!