Jump: Dare to Do What Scares You in Business and Life
Kim Perell
HarperCollins Leadership (November 2021)

“The early bird may get  the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.” Steven Wright

For every book there’s a buyer and that will certain prove true for this one. Kim Perell provides a wealth of insights and counsel for those who are reluctant to take a “big leap.”

Most people find themselves in a situation when they must make a major change in their life. Perell focuses on three reasons: SURVIVAL, BETTER OPPORTUNITY, or REGENERATION.

“Here’s a little secret: you reason for jumping doesn’t matter; the only thing that matters is is that you have the courage to take the leap.” Perell offers another: “If you’ve got to jump, rock bottom is a great place to start. After all, there’s nowhere to go but up.”

Steven Wright’s observation correctly suggests premeditation before making a leap that involves significant risk. Perell: “Here are a few questions I ask myself before jumping:

1. What’s the worst that could happen?
2. Who else will my actions affect?
3. Who has done this before?
4. Can I see my first three steps onto this path?
5. What are my strengths and superpowers?
6. Am I prepared to navigate unpredictability?”

These are eminently sensible, albeit general questions. My own preference is to ask questions directly relevant by the given situation. For example, SURVIVAL: Who would be most helpful in terms of advice now and then the support I will need? If a BETTER OPPORTUNITY: How can I verify that it is what seems to be? Timing of jump? And if REGENERATION: What are the [begin italics] root causes [end italics] of my stagnation as opposed to its symptoms?

One of Kim Perell’s greatest strengths as a source of advice is that she is a diehard pragmatist, obsessed with understanding what works, what doesn’t, and why…and then share what she has learned with as many others as possible. She is determined to help them [begin italics] help themselves [end italics]. She sees her function as that of both a window and a mirror, as both an anchor and a sail, NOT as a crutch.

Most family members and friends tell us what we want to hear, not what we need to know.  Perell makes highly effective use of candor. Check out the direct address in the subtitle: Dare to Do What Scares You in Business and Life. And then in the first three chapters, note the frequent use of direct address in the respective  themes/challenges/admonitions: Look Before You Leap (Chapter 1); Master Your Mindset, Delete Your Excuses, Visualize Your Success, and You Will Never Be Ready (Chapter 2); and Turn Your Fears into Fuel, Immerse Yourself in Discomfort, and Love It More than You Fear it (Chapter 3). This approach enables Perell to establish and then sustain a close rapport with her reader.

With all due respect to the inherent value of the information, insights, and counsel that Kim Perell provides in this book, only you will or will not make any specific  leap. You must do everything humanly possible to make certain that your decision is an enlightened one, based on the best available information, with all relevant implications and potential consequences taken into full account. You’ll regret some leaps you didn’t take and others you did take; some leaps are ill-timed, others lack thrust or commitment.

I tend to agree with Lily Tomlin that reality is a collective hunch.

Perhaps the best advice is provided in the lyrics Don Schlitz created for a song made famous by Kenny Rogers:

“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you’re sittin’ at the table
There’ll be time enough for countin’
When the dealin’s done.”