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Steven-Paul Lapid\u2019s \u201cHelm & Horizon: Daily Leadership Principles for the Motivated Sailor\u201d was released on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. (Provided by Steven-Paul Lapid)<\/p>\nLa Jolla resident and retired Navy officer Steven-Paul Lapid knows people are busy and that his peers subscribe to the \u201cbottom line up front,\u201d or BLUF, model of communication.<\/p>\n
So his debut book, \u201cHelm & Horizon: Daily Leadership Principles for the Motivated Sailor,\u201d can boil its style down to one word: concise.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelm & Horizon,\u201d released on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, is intended as a practical guide to leadership with help from Lapid\u2019s insights from his 25 years of service, along with naval history and more. The title alludes to taking the helm of leadership and keeping your eyes on the horizon.<\/p>\n
Steven-Paul Lapid\u2019s \u201cHelm & Horizon: Daily Leadership Principles for the Motivated Sailor\u201d was released on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. (Provided by Steven-Paul Lapid)<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically \u2026 I wrote 366 \u2026 daily entries,\u201d Lapid said. \u201cEach day equates to one page of the book, and each entry consists of a principle I pulled from some of the top leadership texts out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The book\u2019s bite-size format makes it tailored to sailors or anyone who is trying to lead a team, family or business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really wanted it quick, to the point,\u201d Lapid said. \u201cIt\u2019s for busy people. Especially in the military, you\u2019re so focused on tasks and completing the mission. We don\u2019t have time to sit back and reflect on leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can read one page a day in under five minutes and get \u2018Here\u2019s the gist of this principle, and here\u2019s how we can apply it for the day.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Lapid conceived the idea for \u201cHelm & Horizon\u201d after he retired from active duty in 2022 and began work as a defense contractor for the Navy.<\/p>\n
The career shift gave him more time to pause and reflect, Lapid said. Beyond that, it reignited his passion for ultrarunning, or running longer than the 26.2-mile marathon distance. Common distances are 30, 50, 100 miles or much more.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I got back into ultrarunning, instead of listening to music on my long runs, I switched to listening to audiobooks,\u201d Lapid said. \u201cThat\u2019s where I picked up a lot of these leadership books that I reference in this book.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lapid estimates he listened to 50-60 leadership books ranging from classic philosophy to\u00a0 contemporary corporate leadership guides.<\/p>\n
With those insights in mind, he put his thoughts on paper.<\/p>\n
Though this is his first release as an author, it isn\u2019t the first work he\u2019s published. As a defense contractor, Lapid has been tasked with writing training and warfighting policies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a little bit different, because what are the metrics out there that capture good leaders\u2019 influence?\u201d Lapid said. \u201cI get a lot of feedback through stories [rather] than data. It\u2019s not numbers \u2014 it\u2019s anecdotal.\u201d<\/p>\n