By Benis Reffkin
Three years ago I was inspired by Robert’s unveiling of the Compass Entrepreneurship Principles, and felt that they should be shared more broadly as a book to inspire those who could benefit from it. When I suggested it to Robert he emphatically said “NO.” Mainly because he didn’t want to take any time away from work and family, but also because — believe it or not — he is a private person and doesn’t want public attention.
As a career coach, I know that often people don’t see their own potential and can’t see the vision of the greater impact they can have. So I felt it was my responsibility to push him. While he’d created the principles of entrepreneurship as a way to articulate the Compass culture, I saw in them a series of ideas that could be valuable to a much larger audience.
It took many conversations over a year to convince him, but I used the very principles he lives by to address his biggest concerns. He worried it’d take him away from work or the kids, so I told him that he could write the book by only allocating 2 hours a week on Saturday nights after the kids go to bed (#BeSolutionsDriven). He had a desire for privacy, but a deeper desire to have a positive impact on perhaps thousands of others who didn’t have access to as many mentors as he had (#DreamBig).
That turned a “no” into a “maybe” but there were still obstacles. He said he didn’t know how to write a book, so I quickly found him a writing partner who helped turn his stories into first drafts that Robert could refine (#MaximizeYourStrengths). I let him know that I would manage the entire process (#CollaborateWithoutEgo) and hired the book agent who represented the CEOs of Microsoft and Bridgewater to guide us (#LearnFromReality).
The result? No One Succeeds Alone: Learn Everything You Can From Everyone You Can with @hmhbooks. We’ve both been so lucky to have had the help of so many at critical points in our lives and this book is a way to honor their impact on us. It is a scalable way to give mentorship to countless people with a dream — and all of the author proceeds will be donated to nonprofits working to do the same. I’m so excited that the book will finally be out in the real world in just a few short weeks! It can be pre-ordered now at NoOneSucceedsAloneBook.com