From Crew To Captain: Commander of the Fleet
Taking Your Business To The Next Level
By David Mellor
The From Crew To Captain: Commander of the Fleet book cover. Credit: Filament Publishing.
The book in three words?
Knowledgeable - Friendly - Valuable
What is it about?
From the first two books in the From Crew to Captain trilogy, you will learn how to transition into self-employment and sell yourself as a consultant. So, what’s next? Well, in the third installment in the series, Commander of the Fleet, friend of The Camelot Network, David Mellor, provides insightful and valuable advice on how to take your business to the next level and build a consultancy practice. Due to Mellor’s informative, but friendly tone and his ability to present detailed information with clarity, the book reads like a chat with an excellent mentor. Something that makes this book so special and useful, is the inclusion of reflective tasks that you can do to benefit yourself and your business. These self-diagnostics, such as a business health check, are presented alongside relevant advice, giving you the tools to put your learnings into action effectively.
Commander of the Fleet is positively filled to the brim with tips, such as the ‘top three banana skins’ to avoid, for growing your business and getting through the growing pains. Well-informed advice is accompanied by findings from business-based surveys, giving you extra insight from others' experiences. In Commander of the Fleet, you are pointed towards effective strategies for success in taking your business to new levels.
How do you become a ‘Commander of the Fleet’?
Commander of the Fleet is a fantastic toolkit to use when thinking about transitioning from sole practitioner to having a consultancy practice of your own. Some lessons in the book include conducting a reality check, having your eyes wide open, having a strategic plan, seeking advice from those in your network, and going through the transition in a controlled manner. Throughout the book you are provided with many key questions to ask yourself, showing that reflection is a key part of becoming a ‘Commander of the Fleet’. An important teaching from the book is that there are disastrous strategies to avoid such as losing sight of your core values. There are many lessons in the book that are important to learn such as the habits of good leaders. By using the advice and exercises in the book you will be ready to take your business to the next level and become a commander!
Who is this book for?
This book is ideal for you if you are a sole practitioner looking to create a consultancy practice, as key aspects of early business growth are explained and a whole section is dedicated to building a business. Even if you already have a multi-consultant practice or if you are self-employed and going down a different route, there are tips and guiding points of reflection that can be used to make your business stronger and you happier as a founder.
A moment with the author:
What inspired you to write the book?
“I think what inspired me to write the book was seeing quite a few of the folk I had mentored when they set up their businesses proving to themselves and the market that they had a business model that worked, but then struggling with the “growing pains” that followed as they tried to scale up.”
What would you like people to gain from reading the book?
“The main ‘takeaways’ from the book for the reader are probably threefold:
1. Having a clearer picture of how to transition successfully, and the benefits that a successful transition brings e.g. …
Achieving financial strength and stability
Having choices in terms of selling the business, acquiring other businesses, raising business finance for further growth, entering into strategic partnerships from a position of relative strength
Having choices in terms of selling the business, acquiring other businesses, raising business finance for further growth, entering into strategic partnerships from a position of relative strength
2. Gathering some practical tips on what will contribute to their success, and also possible disastrous strategies that they should avoid
3. Appreciating how their role as leader will change, and how to cope with that”
David Mellor, Author of From Crew To Captain: Commander of the Fleet and Director of David Mellor Mentoring
To sum it up:
In Commander of the Fleet, David Mellor provides a helping hand through expert advice and self-diagnostic tools. Reading this book is a sure way to better equip yourself for a transition in your business and professional role. Get 10% off when buying Mellor’s books here, with this exclusive deal for Camelot members!
Want to know more?
Learn more about From Crew To Captain: Commander Of The Fleet here.
Written by Chloe Allison
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