ONE LIFE TO LEAD

A guide offers a fresh perspective on business success as a function of life design.

According to entrepreneur and financial strategist Benaroya, leadership starts with designing one’s own life—a novel approach for a business book. Life design, writes the author, involves five sequential steps: “1. Ground stories with FACTS.” “2. Establish your PRINCIPLES.” “3. Harness ENERGY from the environment.” “4. Get in and stay in your GENIUS ZONE.” “5. Take ACTION.” Each of these steps forms a section of the volume, and every part includes detailed descriptions, examples, and exercises. All of these elements are standard fare in both self-improvement and business books, but this manual’s laser focus on life design is refreshingly unique. In fact, Benaroya labels as “Designers” the 12 entrepreneurs who are extensively quoted throughout the work; their candid, firsthand experiences help enrich the content. For example, when the author notes that many business owners revealed in conversation that they often fear “they are more lucky than good,” one of the Designers shares this related experience: “When I finally stopped trying to bang down the doors that were closed and lean into the doors that were open, things started to improve for me. I began to look at rejection as protection.” Similarly, Benaroya illustrates the importance of principles (step two) with another Designer’s insight. In rejecting an offer from a venture capital firm that she thought was too one-sided, she noted: “That moment helped me crystallize what I really valued. It was like it slapped me in the face and said, This is what I believe. And you know, sometimes we don’t know what we believe until our views are challenged in some way.” These observations come from founders of a diverse range of small companies, some of which are women- or minority-owned. Their candid comments reveal the kinds of difficult, complex leadership issues they face. Other material in the book is equally illuminating, such as the author’s excellent advice, along with an exercise, for how to find “your genius zone.” Benaroya builds a convincing argument that better life design produces more business success.

Impassioned and thought-provoking leadership advice.