Why Every (Successful) CEO Should Write a Book
Most CEOs get it wrong. Here’s how to get it right.
He walked in like he owned the place, which, technically, he did. CEO of a company that made a lot of money, sure—but nothing about him suggested anyone would remember his name in ten years. He had the posture of someone who thought meetings were proof of genius, which made me want to laugh, but I didn’t. Not yet.
“What I need,” he said, “is a way to cement my legacy.”
I raised an eyebrow. Legacy. Right. Most people confuse being busy with being important. He wanted a book. Of course he did. Every CEO thinks a book will turn them into a visionary. They rarely do.
Over the next hour, I watched him wrestle with words the way a toddler wrestles with broccoli. He wanted a narrative, but every sentence sounded like it had been written by someone afraid of their own ideas. Ghostwriter, naturally. Of course.
The problem wasn’t his story. It was him.
The problem wasn’t his story. It was him. He wanted to be remembered without ever being uncomfortable, to be brilliant without ever thinking too hard. And that’s what most people get wrong: the book isn’t about the legacy you imagine. It’s about the parts of yourself you can’t fake, the truths you’re too scared to confront, and the thinking that actually scares you.
He wouldn’t like that. Most CEOs don’t. But I did.
I didn’t say anything as he sat there, fumbling with the cuffs of his jacket like it would somehow make him profound. I just slid a notebook across the table. “Let’s start,” I said.
He looked at it like it was a grenade. Then something shifted. For the first time in the hour, he wasn’t posturing. He was curious. Terrified, but curious. And that’s when I knew: this would work.
By the end of the week, he’d signed on. Not a handshake, not a vague promise—an actual commitment. We’d turn the book he wanted into the book he needed. The one he’d be embarrassed to admit was brilliant until everyone else started noticing.
You’ve made your mark. A book makes it stick. Writing it won’t be easy—you’ll need a partner who can turn your story into something that actually lasts. That’s where I come in.
Ready to get started?
I only take a handful of projects each year. If this is yours, let’s talk.