Bill Fournet’s The Map vs. the Terrain Reaches No. 1 on USA TODAY Business Bestseller List

New leadership and strategic planning book also ranks No. 3 in nonfiction and No. 9 overall following its September release

TULSA, OK, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Map vs. the Terrain: A Leader’s Field Guide to Navigating Uncertainty, the new book by CEO, keynote speaker, and leadership expert Bill Fournet, has reached No. 1 in the business category on the USA TODAY Best-selling Booklist. The book also ranked No. 3 in nonfiction and No. 9 overall on the USA TODAY list, and No. 4 on the Los Angeles Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list.

Published by Wiley and released Sept. 15, The Map vs. the Terrain is a leadership and strategic planning book that provides practical tools for navigating uncertainty, adapting when conditions change, and keeping teams aligned during disruption and organizational change.

“I wrote The Map vs. the Terrain to be a book leaders would use, not simply read once and put on a shelf,” said Fournet. “To see it reach this milestone so soon after launch is incredibly meaningful. I’m grateful to everyone who bought the book, shared it, recommended it, or brought it to their teams.”

Leadership Book Offers Practical Tools for Navigating Uncertainty and Organizational Change

Drawing on more than three decades of experience advising leaders and organizations, Fournet explores the gap between the “map”—the plans, assumptions and strategies leaders create—and the “terrain,” the realities they encounter when circumstances change. The book combines leadership lessons with practical tools designed to help leaders make decisions with incomplete information, communicate clearly, and maintain alignment during disruption.

Fournet also draws on lessons from a lifelong passion for the outdoors. Throughout the book, the trail serves as a recurring metaphor for leadership: plans matter, but leaders must be prepared to adjust when the terrain changes.

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams, praised the book’s focus on adaptability and shared purpose. He said, “The organizations that succeed in uncertain environments are not those with the most detailed plans—they are those that can adapt fastest while remaining aligned around a shared purpose. Bill Fournet captures that reality with clarity and practicality.”

About The Map vs. the Terrain

The Map vs. the Terrain is a 304-page leadership and strategic planning book for executives, senior managers, and organizational leaders responsible for guiding teams through uncertainty, change and complex transformation.

The Map vs. the Terrain is available through Amazon and other booksellers as a hardcover, e-book, and audiobook. Volume pricing is also available for organizations interested in providing copies to leadership teams. Inquire about volume pricing through Fournet’s website.

Fournet also brings the book’s ideas to leadership teams through keynotes and workshops focused on recognizing when conditions change, making decisions, and keeping teams aligned.

###

About Bill Fournet

Bill Fournet is the founder and CEO of The Persimmon Group, an award-winning management consulting firm, and the author of The Map vs. the Terrain: A Leader’s Field Guide to Navigating Uncertainty. For more than 30 years, he has helped leaders and organizations navigate complexity, set direction and turn strategy into action. Fournet has advised more than 500 organizations across the private, public and nonprofit sectors and has delivered keynotes to thousands of leaders worldwide. His experience includes directing large-scale initiatives at AT&T, IBM and MTV Networks.

Jill Nickerson
The Persimmon Group
+1 918-392-7124
jillnickerson@ThePersimmonGroup.com

Media gallery