A Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly Bestseller
Lift your leadership to new heights
Doug Conant, Founder of ConantLeadership, former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and former President of Nabisco Foods, shares transformational insights in his new book, The Blueprint. Conant is the only former Fortune 500 CEO who is a New York Times bestselling author, a top 50 Leadership Innovator, a Top 100 Leadership Speaker, and a Top 100 Most Influential Author in the World.
Get Unstuck
In 1984, Doug Conant was fired without warning and with barely an explanation. He felt hopeless and stuck but, surprisingly, this defeating turn of events turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to him. Doug began to consider what might be holding him back from realizing his potential, fulfilling his dreams, and making a bigger impact on the world around him.
Embarking on a journey of self-reflection and discovery, he forged a path to revolutionize his leadership and transform his career trajectory. Ultimately, Doug was able to condense his remarkable leadership story into six practical steps. It wasn't until Doug worked through these six steps that he was able to lift his leadership to heights that ultimately brought him career success, joy, and fulfillment.
- Reach High - Envision
- Dig Deep - Reflect
- Lay the Groundwork - Study
- Design - Plan
- Build - Practice
- Reinforce - Improve
In The Blueprint, part leadership manifesto, part practical manual, Doug teaches leaders how to work through the same six steps that he used to transform his journey. The six steps are manageable and incremental, designed to fit practically within the pace of busy modern life. Knowing how daunting the prospect of change can be, Doug arms readers with exercises and practices to realistically bring their foundation to life in every situation. Now, today’s leaders who feel stuck and overwhelmed finally have a blueprint for lifting their leadership to make meaningful change in their organizations and in the world.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Stephen M. R. Covey ix
Authors’ Note xv
Introduction: The Raw Materials of Change Are Already within You xvii
Part I Blueprint: Get Unstuck Your Foundation is Everything 3
Your Life Story is Your Leadership Story 15
Step 1 Envision: The Power of Intention and Purpose 29
Step 2 Reflect: Dig Deep 49
Step 3 Study: Lay Your Groundwork 73
Step 4 Plan: Design Your Leadership Model 91
Step 5 Practice: Build Your Leadership Profile 107
Step 6 Improve: Reinforce Your Foundation 121
Putting It All Together: Your Five-Day Action Plan 135
Part II Manifesto: Maximize Your Impact Leadership That Works: It’s All about the People 149
High Performance 167
Abundance 181
Inspire Trust 193
Purpose 207
Courage 221
Integrity 233
The “Grow or Die” Mindset 255
Humility 271
How Can I Help? 287
Have Fun 297
Stay True to Yourself 307
Afterword by Mette Norgaard 313
Acknowledgments 317
About the Authors 319
Appendix: Understanding the ConantLeadership Flywheel 323
Index 331
