Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

Rocket Fuel is a fantastic resource for leadership teams. It is all about the interplay between the Visionary and the Integrator of an organization. The Visionary is the one who sees the vision of what should happen in the future. The Integrator is the one who “harmoniously unites the major functions of a business”. The two, when meshed well together create a powerful force for creating a strong, growth-oriented organization.

Part 1 of the book defines the two different roles. Part 2 dives into the HOW of the different roles and gives the 5 rules for interacting effectively. A Bonus Chapter reviews the concepts of Traction, also by Gino Wickman, and discusses how they work for the two different roles to create excellent organizational structure.

The book ends by recommending a review of Chapter 4, which covers the Accountability Chart, and Chapter 5, which covers the 5 rules . When I reached the end and found that recommendation, I went back to Chapter 4 to review.

As an Integrator, I love the organization and structure that Chapter 4: The Accountability Chart offers. But I know that for a young and growing organization, that chart has to be very, very fluid. However, the chapter reminds us that the Accountability Chart should be a picture of where you are going. “The Accountability Chart forces you to view your organization in a different way by being intentionally proactive about your structure, rather than reactively adapting a structure to fit your current people…. Focus on what you need, not what you have.”

That reminder made it clear to me that I wasn’t seeing the Accountability Chart for all that it could be, because our organization is so small and young. I’m sure this is a book that I need to read each year to continue to build a great relationship with our Visionary and to see anew how our organization can grow to fulfill its potential.