Leadership Lessons I've Learned from Writing Fiction

Along with coaching leaders I also write fiction. My middle grade novel, Keepers of the Pact, comes out this August with Nimbus Publishing.

The final stages of the editing process have been gruelling.

Most people have this storied idea of what it’s like to be an author. But just like being in a leadership role, it has its shiny parts and then there’s all that behind-the-scenes work.

My weekends and evenings have been gobbled up re-reading, researching and revising to align with my editor’s notes and observations. It’s 50,000 words and one little change can cause a ripple effect.
It takes a wide lens to keep it all together. Having an editor that provides an external perspective has allowed me to talk through all of my ideas and helped focus and refine the story to land on a final product I can be proud of.

As a Career Strategist, I often feel like I’m helping you edit and refine your career stories.
I’m in the process of compiling my top leadership takeaways from writing fiction.

Here’s one you can apply right away.

Leadership Lesson #1:

Pay Attention to Your Point of View: Avoid the POV Drift

As much as we want to believe we know what others are thinking – we aren’t in anyone else’s headspace but our own. Which means much of the time we’re making up a story in our mind of what the other person is thinking.

I've written my novel in 3rd person omniscient Point of View (POV), which means I know what my main character, Alistair, is thinking and feeling – and as the reader, so do you. But we can only imagine we know what the other characters are thinking by observing their actions and listening to their dialogue.
I’ve had to go back and edit out all the times I’ve drifted into other character’s thoughts and feelings.

Don't drift! Making assumptions wastes precious time, money and productivity.

It takes discipline as an author to stay in one character’s headspace.  As a leader, you also need to consider when you’re making assumptions about your corporate cast of characters and come up with strategies to create the kind of corporate story you can be proud of.

Karen Kelloway, BPR PCC
Your Career Story Editor