Hey There Modern Authors,
Can you guess the most common nonfiction book themes I'm hearing today?
For context, I meet with about sixty people a month interested in writing a nonfiction book (yep, that's over 500 alone this year). And after each conversation, I reflect on the larger themes they are exploring.
Here are the top three themes I'm seeing:
#3 Most Common Theme in 2025: Writing a book about corporate and career advice for younger individuals.
#2: Writing a book about trends in technology like AI, blockchain, robotics, or something similar (and how they are reshaping some element of work, life, or society).
But by far and away the #1 Theme this year: Leadership... and this trend is particularly common among aspiring authors who are later in their careers looking to transition to boards, speaking, executive coaching, or training.
As a little market research... there are currently more than 86,000 books on leadership available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble right now.
So you might think I'd be quick to point out that's a bad idea to write a leadership book today.
But you'd be wrong... I think it's still one of the most valuable books you can write in 2025...
... if you do it the right way.
The problem is a lot of those 86,000 books don't do it the right way. And that's why in this article, we're going to deconstruct why it's a huge opportunity for anyone considering a modern leadership book... so long as you don't fall into the traps that many do.
And we're fortunate to be able to learn from Sally Helgesen, one of the greatest management and leadership voices today (as evidenced by her place as a Hall of Fame member of the prestigious Thinkers50 organization).
But the funniest part about Sally is that she admitted in our conversation for our Modern Author community that she didn't actually set out to write a traditional business or leadership book. In fact, she was among the first to challenge what “leadership” even meant.
When she wrote The Female Advantage in 1990, it wasn’t just groundbreaking because it centered women, but it redefined what effective leadership could look like: inclusive, reflective, collaborative, and deeply personal.
What makes Sally’s writing so compelling is that it doesn’t aim to win arguments... it invites the reader into reflection.
Her chapters are rich in story, often structured as meditations, portraits, and insights. They don’t command; they invite. And that’s why they’ve shaped generations of leaders, thinkers, and changemakers.
In this edition of Write Like a Thought Leader, we break down Sally Helgesen’s Reflective Wisdom Framework, a structure that helps writers lead through insight, empathy, and experience.
If you're writing a modern leadership book (or thinking about one down the road) this is an article worth reading and noting, as too often leadership books are either a prescriptive memoir disguised as a book about leadership, or a how to guide offering a retread on the classic "Be Like Winston Churchill or George Washington leading through crisis" message.
Those rarely work anymore.
Great leadership books are needed now more than ever... but it requires Reflective Wisdom to pull them off well.
Why This Framework Works (Especially for Leadership Themes)
Good leadership matters.
Most employees leave companies because of their bosses and managers (not the company itself). Most managers and leaders have very little training or structure in what modern leadership looks like (or how to do it). And leaders are often culled from great individual contributors, not people with skills and competencies that we know lead to leadership.
The problem is most leadership books take a personal experience, slap a clever acronym on it, and call it a new approach to leadership. But the reality is it's not much different.
And so round and round we go... hence 86,000 books on leadership for a world looking for an answer.
Enter Sally (who it's the only answer by the way, but just offers a compelling framework we can learn from).
Sally’s approach resonates because it breaks from the overly prescriptive, masculine-coded “how-to” leadership formats. Instead, she uses:
✅ Reflective storytelling as the path to discovery
✅ Observational and internalized insight, not just directives
✅ Deep, human portraits to challenge assumptions
✅ Writing as invitation, not instruction
Her voice is calm but challenging. Compassionate, yet clarifying. And that blend is her power.
While her writing has looked at female leadership, it's an approach that works well whenever an alternative, empathetic leadership style is being
taught or offered.
When to Use This Framework
Best For:
- Leadership writers who want to go beyond advice-giving
- Authors in coaching, equity, DEI, or personal development
- Writers exploring identity, culture, or professional growth
Great Fit For:
- Books or chapters focused on self-awareness, relational dynamics, or systemic challenges
- Organizational change writing that centers lived experience
- Female-identifying or non-traditional leaders writing from experience
If your writing seeks to reflect and reframe, not prescribe, this is your structure.
The Reflective Wisdom Framework: Sally Helgesen’s Writing Structure
Sally’s chapter model often flows like a deep conversation, with the reader, with herself, and with the subject. It blends profile, insight, theme, and invitation.
And importantly, she creates a reason existing leadership approaches and models aren't working for everyone. It's subtle, not a jab in the entire system, but clarity tied to poor outcomes of those being led and the organizations that employ them.
Here’s how she typically builds it:
1️⃣ Introduce a Real-Life Portrait (400–600 words)
- Begin with a vignette or short profile of a woman (or leader) navigating work/life dynamics.
- Ground the story in observable details, not judgment.
💡 Why it works: Establishes empathy and context. Feels real.
2️⃣ Pose a Thematic Question (300–500 words)
- After the story, raise a reflective question: What does leadership look like in this setting? What are we taught to notice, or overlook?
💡 Why it works: Engages the reader in discovery, not just consumption.
3️⃣ Offer Observational Insights (400–600 words)
- Share your personal or professional observations on the theme.
- Use phrases like: “What I noticed over time…” or “Many women shared…”
💡 Why it works: Builds trust. Shows expertise without ego.
4️⃣ Contextualize With Broader Patterns (400–600 words)
- Add historical, sociological, or organizational insights.
- Could include references to studies, cultural patterns, or systemic norms.
💡 Why it works: Grounds the story in a larger truth.
5️⃣ Share Another Layered Profile or Story (500–700 words)
- Offer a contrast or deepening narrative.
- This time, add dialogue, personal reflection, or narrative shifts.
💡 Why it works: Reinforces the emotional arc. Adds depth.
6️⃣ Invite Reflection (300–500 words)
- Ask the reader to explore how they’ve seen or lived this.
- Offer journaling prompts, moments for pause, or open-ended questions.
💡 Why it works: Creates a relational bond. Encourages processing.
7️⃣ Frame the Takeaway as a Practice or Principle (400–600 words)
- Rather than a “tip,” offer a recurring insight or mantra.
- Example: “Leadership is not a destination. It’s a form of attention.”
💡 Why it works: Leaves the reader with resonance, not prescription.
✍️ ChatGPT Prompt: Reflective Wisdom (Sally Helgesen Style)
“I’m writing a chapter using Sally Helgesen’s Reflective Wisdom Framework. Please help me:
- Begin with a story or profile that explores identity or leadership in a real-world setting
- Introduce a theme through a reflective question
- Offer observational insight from my own experience or coaching work
- Add historical or cultural context to frame the issue more broadly
- Include a second story or deepened narrative to add emotional richness
- Invite the reader to reflect or journal on this in their own life
- Close with a memorable principle, mantra, or takeaway that doesn’t just teach, but invites presence
Here’s what I’ve got: [Insert Your Content]”
Final Word for Modern Authors
The most powerful writing doesn’t just deliver wisdom. It reflects it.
Several of my recent authors have showcased their spin on this approach:
- Steve Tang in his book A Test for Our Time: Crisis Leadership in the Next Normal, offering that leaders don't rise to the crisis, they are preparing their team so they don't have to.
- Hilary DeCesare in her book RELAUNCH!: Spark Your Heart to Ignite Your Life, showcases why modern leaders must create a relaunch process as they enter each phase to continue to evolve.
- Scott White in his book The Life Is Too Short Guy: Strategies to Make Every Day the Best Day Ever, exposing the important of a happiness layer in all leadership.
Sally Helgesen’s work shows that true thought leadership isn’t about giving answers, it’s about creating space for transformation.
So if you want your book to:
- Inspire deep personal clarity
- Lead through lived truth, not just logic
- Help readers feel seen and heard
…then Reflective Wisdom is your blueprint.
And if you're writing a book to help younger leaders or to help grow your training or executive coaching, grab some time with me and let's talk about moving beyond personal stories and retellings of existing themes into new, cutting edge, and timely approaches to modern leadership (truth is, we need them more than ever).
Happy writing y'all.
Eric
Originally published in The Modern Author newsletter.
