The Blueprint 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights

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.

1. Reach High - Envision
2. Dig Deep - Reflect
3. Lay the Groundwork - Study
4. Design - Plan
5. Build - Practice
6. 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.

DOUGLAS CONANT is the founder of ConantLeadership, former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and former president of Nabisco Foods, and 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.

Learn more at conantleadership.com.

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

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.