A guide for wannabe leadership gurus

THE SHEER amount of guff written about leadership, management and careers is staggering. Publishers spew out new business titles, some good, most not. Research papers proliferate, exploring everything from the impact of covid-19 on leadership in dental practices in England to the prevalence of psychopathy among sustainability managers. Blogs, newsletters, podcasts, social-media posts and columns (oh my God, the columns) add to the torrent of advice. It is hard for any would-be business guru to stand out in this ocean of effluent. That leaves a striking gap in the market—for a book on how to write a bestseller about leadership.A publication of this sort could start by noting that the most useful writing about business leadership focuses on people who run actual companies and take actual decisions. But usefulness is a terribly old-fashioned path to success. This how-to guide would quickly move on, and point to three other approaches that can help budding authors grab the attention of readers.