I’m thrilled to announce the release of my new book, “Dragonproof Principles: Leadership Principles for the Modern Entrepreneur.”
This book is the culmination of two years of writing, recording, interviewing, and debating the many factors which separate successful businesses from the pack. Given the odyssey we have all just navigated, the question of “what is great leadership?” has never been more pronounced.
For me, adding the role of “content creator” to my job description has been an odyssey unto itself. I began hosting regular podcasts right at the start of the pandemic, and this timing meant that me and my guests were facing the monumental challenges of the period in real time. Asking tough questions in the public forum caused me to articulate my most fundamental beliefs about leadership in business, while challenging and refining many of those ideas to meet the times.
Right now, we look at ecommerce’s 2020/2021 success as a great story of perseverance, the smart application of tech, and a powerful sea change in the larger retail economy. But our success was never assured. It became very clear, very quickly, that entrepreneurs needed a new set of guidelines to help them make good choices, especially in the face of constant and unprecedented uncertainty.
As I describe in the book, businesses of all sizes now face a “war on entrepreneurship” - a climate which can seem quite overwhelming. With marketplace monopolies on one side, influencer culture on the other, and unpredictable global events wreaking havoc with supply & demand, sellers need more than just the best software in order to thrive. They need a principled approach to guide them through the fog.
This was the jumping off point for the project. I am very grateful to the merchants, leaders, and friends who shared their experiences along the way, and am so excited to share the book with our greater community. I know it will come in handy as we collectively face the new world of 2022. I’m bullish on the near future as well as the long term success of our industry, and hope this content will help everyone who reads it feel the same.
- Rick Wilson
“Dragonproof Principles: Leadership Principles for the Modern Entrepreneur” is available to purchase here.