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Why Would Any Leader Write a Hybrid Leadership Memoir and Book?
By Jeffrey A. Mangus
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work and your own life. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Why would any leader bother to write a hybrid leadership business book? This is an unorthodox way to start my article, but it’s a question worth asking and exploring.
When you walk into any Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, or tap a button on Amazon, you will find the market saturated with books from thousands of areas, interests, and genres. You’ll find a plethora of business books, including titles by Simon Sinek, John Maxwell, Malcolm Gladwell, and Tony Robbins, to name a few. While unique in ways, a good deal of leadership books tackle the same themes and recycle similar notions.
Non-fiction book statistics suggest no reason to write a business book. Non-fiction books in the U.S. sell fewer than 250 copies per year and fewer than 2,000 copies. In today’s busy society, people lack the time or attention to read most books, so authors and publishers sell them within their communities.
Despite having limited time, leaders continue to write them. Why is that?
However, small and large business owners, CEOs, top-level executives, and influential leaders are still writing books, even more so. The goal is to help others by sharing valuable experience and expertise while also generating significant advantages for the author through the book.
Even with the rise of online media, a printed book remains the ultimate demonstration of authority and influence. Savvy authors now use their books as powerful marketing tools for their companies, attracting prospects, onboarding clients and team members, forming partnerships, and increasing prices.
Money and professional success aren’t everything. Some find fulfillment in talking and expressing their thoughts. Writing helps some people organize their thoughts by putting them on paper.
So, returning to my question, what motivates a leader to write a hybrid leadership memoir or book?
One reason is to define your unique concept. Before writing your book, spend one to two hours reflecting on your grand vision for your life and the influence you aspire to have. Journal how you envision your perfect life in one, five, and ten years from today. As you progress, document your age, portray your family life, elaborate on your career and achievements, and emphasize the impact of your thought leadership.
By engaging in this activity, you can gain clarity and create a mental picture of your book’s potential impact, which defines your purpose. Remember your big vision of staying motivated during the writing and publishing process.
Now, you must discover how your hybrid business leadership book aligns with making an impact. Summarize the core message by delivering and focusing on the following, capturing its purpose, through line, and intended effect on readers:
Authenticity and Relatability: A hybrid memoir can resonate more deeply with readers by intertwining personal experiences with leadership lessons. Sharing personal stories fosters a connection that pure theoretical writing may lack.
Diverse Audience Appeal: This format can attract a broader audience, including aspiring leaders, established professionals, and general readers interested in personal growth and storytelling.
Enhanced Learning: The narrative style helps readers understand complex leadership concepts. Readers can more easily understand lessons when the author presents them in a relatable context. This connection with the reader influences how others perceive you as a leader.
Inspiration and Motivation: Sharing personal stories of struggle, failure, and triumph can inspire and motivate readers to conquer challenges. The reader, a person going through struggles, can relate to your story, furthering their support of you and your business cause.
Legacy Building: A hybrid leadership memoir told through story, engaging content, and proper leadership lessons could be a powerful testament to someone’s leadership journey, providing valuable insights and reflections that contribute to the broader conversation on leadership. Personal Reflection: Writing can serve as a valuable self-reflection exercise, helping authors define their leadership philosophy and values. It is freeing and organic, allowing you to explore and learn more about yourself as a person and as a leader. It’s a win-win.
***
However, there is also another side to the coin. With all those positive aspects of writing a hybrid leadership memoir, there are a few disadvantages you need to be aware of:
Balancing Personal and Professional: Striking the right balance between personal narrative and professional insights can be challenging. Placing too much emphasis on individual stories can dilute the leadership message, while an excessive focus on theory can detach the memoir. It’s a delicate balance; a professional ghostwriter can help you strike that balance and keep you on track.
Vulnerability and Exposure: Here is where it gets tricky. Writing a hybrid leadership memoir exposes you to past pains and hurts. It’s an enlightening experience, wading through memories and sorting out the lessons learned. Sharing personal experiences often involves revealing vulnerabilities. This can be uncomfortable for some authors and may risk professional reputation or privacy.
Perceived Lack of Authority: In today’s AI-driven technical society, authenticity is crucial. As the author, readers rely on you to provide transparency and authenticity on the page. Readers might doubt the author’s credibility or expertise if a memoir depends too much on personal anecdotes instead of established leadership principles.
Time and Effort: Creating an impactful book of high quality requires a significant investment of time. Creating a hybrid leadership memoir demands extensive time and effort, including writing and refining the story and finding the perfect balance between lessons and powerful writing. Authors should also consider the requirement for research or interviews to back up their ideas.
Audience Expectations: Various reader segments may have different expectations of content. Some readers may read for the inspiring story and their values, while others seek direct help and information to further their business careers. Again, finding the balance in your narrative that will hit all the buttons would be best. Meeting the needs of all readers can be challenging because of the varying preferences for practical advice versus engaging storytelling.
Market Competition: The saturation of the leadership category makes it difficult to distinguish oneself. A hybrid memoir needs a unique perspective or narrative to stand out in a competitive market. This is where you bring your unique perspective, authentic concepts, passion, and heart to the subject, helping you rise above the noise.
While writing a hybrid leadership memoir can provide a unique platform for sharing insights and experiences, it also requires balancing personal narrative and professional guidance. Authors must weigh these advantages and disadvantages to determine if this approach aligns with their goals and audience expectations.
***
If you are a business leader with a memoir story or a book idea you would like to discuss, please get in touch and get on my schedule.
About Me as a Ghostwriter
“My name is Jeffrey A. Mangus. I work with influential executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, and new authors who have incredible, life-changing stories and want to put it all into writing their business books or memoirs. Authors I work with have beaten adversity down, survived gut-wrenching challenges, and overcome them to reach the top. I love rags-to-riches stories that show tenacity, grit, and determination. I partner with individuals committed to motivating others, going the extra mile, thinking innovatively, and leaving a lasting impression.
Jeffrey A. Mangus is a 5x #1 Amazon bestselling ghostwriter and author with thirty-five (35) award-winning and bestselling books to his credit. Jeffrey has written for several major publishers: Harper Collins Leadership, Harper Collins Focus, Rowman & Littlefield, Tantor, Blackstone, Highbridge Audio, and Audible.
Why Would Any Leader Write a Hybrid Leadership Memoir and Book?
By Jeffrey A. Mangus
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work and your own life. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Why would any leader bother to write a hybrid leadership business book? This is an unorthodox way to start my article, but it’s a question worth asking and exploring.
When you walk into any Barnes & Noble, Books a Million, or tap a button on Amazon, you will find the market saturated with books from thousands of areas, interests, and genres. You’ll find a plethora of business books, including titles by Simon Sinek, John Maxwell, Malcolm Gladwell, and Tony Robbins, to name a few. While unique in ways, a good deal of leadership books tackle the same themes and recycle similar notions.
Non-fiction book statistics suggest no reason to write a business book. Non-fiction books in the U.S. sell fewer than 250 copies per year and fewer than 2,000 copies. In today’s busy society, people lack the time or attention to read most books, so authors and publishers sell them within their communities.
Despite all of those challenges, leaders continue to write them. Why is that?
However, small and large business owners, CEOs, top-level executives, and influential leaders are still writing books, even more so. The goal is to help others by sharing valuable experience and expertise while also generating significant advantages for the author through the book.
Even with the rise of online media, a printed book remains the ultimate demonstration of authority and influence. Savvy authors now use their books as powerful marketing tools for their companies, attracting prospects, onboarding clients and team members, forming partnerships, and increasing prices.
Money and professional success aren’t everything. Some find fulfillment in talking and expressing their thoughts. Writing helps some people organize their thoughts by putting them on paper.
So, returning to my question, what motivates a leader to write a hybrid leadership memoir or book?
One reason is to define your unique concept. Before writing your book, spend one to two hours reflecting on your grand vision for your business and the influence you aspire to have. Elaborate on your career and achievements, and emphasize the impact of your thought leadership.
By engaging in this activity, you can gain clarity and create a mental picture of your book’s potential impact, which defines your purpose. Remember your big vision of staying motivated during the writing and publishing process.
Now, you must discover how your hybrid business leadership book aligns with making an impact. Summarize the core message by delivering and focusing on the following, capturing its purpose, and intended effect on readers:
Authenticity and Relatability: A hybrid memoir can resonate more deeply with readers by intertwining personal experiences with leadership lessons. Sharing personal stories fosters a connection that pure theoretical writing may lack.
Diverse Audience Appeal: This format can attract a broader audience, including aspiring leaders, established professionals, and general readers interested in personal growth and storytelling.
Enhanced Learning: The narrative style helps readers understand complex leadership concepts. Readers can more easily understand lessons when the author presents them in a relatable context. This connection with the reader influences how others perceive you as a leader.
Inspiration and Motivation: Sharing personal stories of struggle, failure, and triumph can inspire and motivate readers to conquer challenges. The reader, a person going through struggles, can relate to your story, furthering their support of you and your business cause.
Legacy Building: A hybrid leadership memoir told through story, engaging content, and proper leadership lessons could be a powerful testament to someone’s leadership journey, providing valuable insights and reflections that contribute to the broader conversation on leadership. Personal Reflection: Writing can serve as a valuable self-reflection exercise, helping authors define their leadership philosophy and values. It is freeing and organic, allowing you to explore and learn more about yourself as a person and as a leader. It’s a win-win.
***
However, there is also another side to the coin. With all those positive aspects of writing a hybrid leadership memoir, there are a few disadvantages you need to be aware of:
Balancing Personal and Professional: Striking the right balance between personal narrative and professional insights can be challenging. Placing too much emphasis on individual stories can dilute the leadership message, while an excessive focus on theory can detach the memoir. It’s a delicate balance; a professional ghostwriter can help you strike that balance and keep you on track.
Vulnerability and Exposure: Here is where it gets tricky. Writing a hybrid leadership memoir exposes you to past pains and hurts. It’s an enlightening experience, wading through memories and sorting out the lessons learned. Sharing personal experiences often involves revealing vulnerabilities. This can be uncomfortable for some authors and may risk professional reputation or privacy.
Perceived Lack of Authority: In today’s AI-driven technical society, authenticity is crucial. As the author, readers rely on you to provide transparency and authenticity on the page. Readers might doubt the author’s credibility or expertise if a memoir depends too much on personal anecdotes instead of established leadership principles.
Time and Effort: Creating an impactful book of high quality requires a significant investment of time. Creating a hybrid leadership memoir demands extensive time and effort, including writing and refining the story and finding the perfect balance between lessons and powerful writing. Authors should also consider the requirement for research or interviews to back up their ideas.
Audience Expectations: Various reader segments may have different expectations of content. Some readers may read for the inspiring story and their values, while others seek direct help and information to further their business careers. Again, finding the balance in your narrative that will hit all the buttons would be best. Meeting the needs of all readers can be challenging because of the varying preferences for practical advice versus engaging storytelling.
Market Competition: The saturation of the leadership category makes it difficult to distinguish oneself. A hybrid memoir needs a unique perspective or narrative to stand out in a competitive market. This is where you bring your unique perspective, authentic concepts, passion, and heart to the subject, helping you rise above the noise.
While writing a hybrid leadership memoir can provide a unique platform for sharing insights and experiences, it also requires balancing personal narrative and professional guidance. Authors must weigh these advantages and disadvantages to determine if this approach aligns with their goals and audience expectations.
***
If you are a business leader with a memoir story or a book idea you would like to discuss, please get in touch and get on my schedule.
About Me as a Ghostwriter
“My name is Jeffrey A. Mangus. I work with influential executives, leaders, entrepreneurs, and new authors who have incredible, life-changing stories and want to put it all into writing their business books or memoirs. Authors I work with have beaten adversity down, survived gut-wrenching challenges, and overcome them to reach the top. I love rags-to-riches stories that show tenacity, grit, and determination. I partner with individuals committed to motivating others, going the extra mile, thinking innovatively, and leaving a lasting impression.
Jeffrey A. Mangus is a 5x #1 Amazon bestselling ghostwriter and author with thirty-five (35) award-winning and bestselling books to his credit. Jeffrey has written for several major publishers: Harper Collins Leadership, Harper Collins Focus, Rowman & Littlefield, Tantor, Blackstone, Highbridge Audio, and Audible.