The premise of Leap by Rick Smith is that most people who have achieved great things did not  leap into their ventures with great risk, but tended to keep one foot on stable ground while moving slowly towards their goals. “The leap I’m writing about here is precisely the opposite. It’s about knowing ‘before’ you choose; it’s about making certain the risk-return equation is leaning heavily in your favor. ”

The author makes an interesting point on finding your energy, the place at which you are happiest and most productive, and than building your career out of that energy.  He calls upon you to find your primary color.  “the energy that accompanies and grows from full engagement” (in the workplace. )  “working a job that requires you to constantly correct your weaknesses in the pursuit of a goal you are not passionate about sucks your energy away.”  It is easy to relate to this idea.  We all want to be happy.  We should naturally gravitate to  situations that allow us to stay positive,  be ourselves and stay within our comfort zone.

The author claims that you don’t necessarily have to know where you are going to end up.  Many of the success stories shared in the book are from people who have wandered from job to job, position to position. Mr.Smith points out how each step of their path has helped them to gain the experience necessary for them to achieve their final goals.  He calls this the “spark sequence”,  “exploratory events that;

• Build exposure to what lies ahead.
• Created confidence and skills.
• Allowed us to visit our new lives without quite going there.I may not be where I want to be right now but I am gaining skills and knowledge that will help me get there.”

These ideas rang true to me. Before I started my PA equipment rental company Calgary Sound Rentals I was working as an assistant manager at Wicker Land a wicker and rattan furniture store. At Wicker Land I learned about marketing, sales, management, accounting and more. These skills definitely helped me to succeed in building a strong foundation for Calgary sound rentals to grow on.

The author also argues that when creating a successful venture your intentions have to come from a place of good and should ultimately be selfless.

This book provides excellent examples to accelerate your career while giving insight into our nature, our relationships to one another and how to follow our own energy for a more successful career.

“The more we let external forces determine the work we do and the success we achieve, the more we discount the outcome and see the world through other peoples eyes.”

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