“How’s your business book coming along?”

If you’re going to write the ultimate book on business – and I’m talking about one of those books that really connects with today’s high-powered executive – then you really ought to start with the title. The wealthy elitist on the go doesn’t have time to browse through a dozen different versions of the same old thing. You need a title that reaches out and grabs him – or her, but almost definitely him – by the balls and maybe but probably not the ovaries.

It’s the title of your business book, more than anything else, that sets it apart from all the other books in those tiny little shops at the airport next to the Roots. It’s the title that grabs today’s corporate titan by the throat and whispers “Gee, I guess we’d better have our legal team prepare for an antitrust hearing, because this book’s about to monopolize your attention.”

“It’s about to monopolize your attention all night long,” your title should add.

And what makes a good title? Sure, you could use a lot of flashy buzzwords and make a bunch of big promises, but today’s executive can see right through all that bullshit. What you really want to do is deliver results, speak to the hearts and minds of today and tomorrow, and provide a total model for success. And along the way, if you can use a lot of flashy buzzwords and make a bunch of big promises, then so much the better.

The current working title for my business book is The Leading Edge: What It Is, Where To Find It, How To Get It, What To Do If You Lose It, How To Make Sure You Don’t Lose It Again, Why You’d Better Not Let Your Kids Play With It, and Where To Find It. With a title like that, I’m pretty sure I can tap Jack Welch to write the foreword.

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