It’s been little more than 8 months since Leading by the Book was launched. When I dreamed up Leading by the Book, the goal was really pretty simple. I wanted to share leadership lessons that I’ve learned throughout my career. Why leadership? Why not accounting tricks or marketing know-how? Sure, all of that is important, but leadership, more than anything is the most important factor in any organization or individual accomplishing what they set out to do. Bizarrely, it’s also the most under-developed skill in adults today. I wanted to change that.
In these 8 months, it’s taken on a life far more meaningful than I could have imagined. In fact, it’s been one of the best learning experiences I’ve ever had. A big reason for that is the quality of the guests that we’ve been able to have on the show. Talking with incredible leaders has not only supported my theory of leaderships’ importance, but has also exposed me to new ideas that I’ve immediately been able to put in play. Beyond that, the practice of writing about leadership topics each week has pushed me to be more reflective on the topic and to challenge my existing beliefs about leadership. Whenever something like that happens, you’re bound to benefit from it.
Another added – but perhaps unexpected – benefit has been the enormous amount of kind words and thoughts that I’ve received along the way. I estimate that 9 out of 10 conversations I’ve had over the course of the past several months has started with someone sharing that they follow the blog and podcast, and sharing how they put something we discussed into play. That alone is mission accomplished, and I’m grateful to each and everyone of you that not only follow what we do here, but also share the word. It’s hugely appreciated.
So with that being said, it is time to think about the future of Leading by the Book. After all, many of you know that I also operate a digital marketing consulting business, Metrics Agency with an incredible business partner, Chris Sietsema. Time is certainly in short supply, yet Chris has been gracious enough to encourage my pursuit of Leading by the Book. As we actively grow that business, however, I think it’s necessary that I better define what can be expected of Leading by the Book in the coming months and years.
Podcast
First and foremost, the Leading by the Book podcast will continue. There will likely not be a new episode posted each week as we did originally. Instead, we will focus on longer-form interviews with accomplished leaders from the business, military and athletic communities. The exception to this will be when there is a really deep and important topic that I’m exploring, however, I expect those instances to be rare. In doing this, we can provide great insight and new perspectives to a wide-ranging audience – which is ultimately our primary goal.
Speaking
Continuing with the spoken word, we will continue to speak at events throughout the country. Sharing leadership messages is incredibly rewarding for me, and I look forward to doing more of it in 2019. In addition to speeches at conferences and corporate events, we’ve also scheduled several lectures on college campuses.
Blog
Transitioning to writing, the blog will continue to be written, however, I don’t believe that it will operate with a standard schedule. The rough goal is to post fresh content every 7 to 1o days, if not more frequently. Even if no one read the blog, writing is an invaluable tool – one that I recommend to everyone – and the process of writing about leadership topics makes me a better leader myself. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Materials
Expanding on the writing aspect of Leading by the Book, we will be creating longer and more impactful leadership eBooks. Currently, we have a preliminary list of topics and titles sorted out, with work actively underway on the first of these. As I get more detail surrounding the content and release schedule, I will keep you all posted.
Consulting
Lastly, few things bring me more joy than working with those that are looking to develop their leadership skills. I will be working with leadership consulting clients – both individuals and organizations – on an EXTREMELY limited basis. While there’s not a ton of time for this, it simply brings me too much happiness – and is too important a skill for people develop – to say no to. If you are interested in consulting services, check out the detail on our site and drop me a line via the contact form.
Once again, thanks to each and everyone of you that read the blog and listen to the podcast each week. The response thus far has far exceeded any expectations that I had, and I’m having a blast exploring these topics. As always, get in touch if you have any questions or comments.
Give em hell,
CB