We at Launch-Leadership Development have found another great leadership book we would like to share with you.

The book Rocket Fuel, by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters, presents the idea that if a business owner will design their team with two major roles at the top, they will gain traction like never before and the combination will be like rocket fuel to their company!

Let’s explore:

• what these two roles are
• how this traction can happen

The two roles:  The Visionary and the Integrator

The Visionary:

• Usually is the founder of the company
• The creative idea generator, product developer, and inspiration for the company
• Great with seeing the big picture and things others cannot see

The Integrator:

• Great at leading, managing and holding people accountable
• The “glue” for the company that all departments report to
• Organized, disciplined and great with details

Because the founder of a company is usually a Visionary, the book focuses on convincing the Visionary why they need an Integrator on their team.  Surveys are included to help identify whether a person is a Visionary or Integrator.

How this dynamic duo creates traction

First, having an Integrator frees the Visionary to focus on what they do best, work “on” the company rather than working “in” it.  The Visionary usually must do it all when the company is young, but as it grows, there will be a time when the Visionary is struggling to play the Integrator’s role while still working on new ideas that will grow the company into its next phase. The Integrator does what he does best: manage all the departments and functions so that there is one person all report to, streamlining accountability. The Integrator then reports to the Visionary regularly.

Second, the authors provide 5 proven tools to use that will enable the Visionary and Integrator to launch the company forward.

• The Accountability Chart lays out the chain of command and crystalizes the top 5 priorities of each manager over each function of the company.
• The Core Questions reveal your company’s core values and goals
• The 90-day World dials in your goals to focus in 13-week segments
• Weekly Level 10 Meetings are ironclad check ins with your leadership team
• The Scorecard is the way the Integrator is accountable to the Visionary

The authors provide on-going support through their website: www.rocketfueluniversity.com

More than just presenting a concept, this is a great How-to book that will benefit any entrepreneur.  At only 187 pages, it was a quick read but I gathered about 10 pages of notes for future reference.  I encourage you to add it to your business library!

-Jan Jones

For more information about why Visionaries need an Integrator, check out this video!