Why writing a book builds authority and how to prioritise your work

Executive overview

Writing a book unlocks higher speaking fees and broader leverage — but only matters if it aligns with your core purpose. Every business decision should be filtered through that purpose, including what clients to take on and what to decline.

Prioritise employee happiness first, customer happiness second, and profit third — in that order.

Book writing as a leverage tool

• Started from external pressure (speaker's bureau), not a desire to write
• After the first book, recognised the leverage and wrote five more
• Only pursued because it aligned with core purpose: helping entrepreneurs make their visions come true

Core purpose as a decision filter

• Simon Sinek helped clarify the core purpose before writing Start With Why
• All products and services — books, speaking, COO Alliance, online course — serve the same purpose
• Declined a government agency engagement despite full fee: misaligned with core purpose
• Stopped coaching the Qatar royal family when not allowed to discuss core values

The three metrics that matter

• Employee NPS is the number one metric in any organisation
• Customer NPS is second
• Profit and revenue are third
• Happy employees go through walls for customers; happy customers allow premium pricing
• Focusing on customers first burns out employees and makes them feel secondary