Helm & Horizon Reviews

A Chief’s Perspective on Helm & Horizon

“I retired from the United States Navy after more than two decades in uniform. I’ve served under exceptional leaders and I’ve also served under leaders who were still figuring it out. Over that time, I came to understand something simple. Leadership is rarely about rank and more about consistency.

When I picked up Helm & Horizon by Steven-Paul Lapid, I expected another leadership book filled with familiar principles and war stories. What I found instead was something far more useful. A reliable resource with a disciplined framework for developing leadership as a daily practice. The daily format immediately stood out to me. As a Chief, my days were rarely predictable. In between inspections, maintenance casualties, training cycles, and taking care of Sailors, long stretches of quiet reading time simply didn’t exist. Helm & Horizon respects that reality. Each entry is focused and deliberate. And as it is mentioned in the book’s introduction: you can read it before quarters, during breaks, or after a long watch. Most importantly, it doesn’t overwhelm.

As a Chief, I always believed my job was to create conditions where Sailors could succeed without me hovering over them. That requires trust. It requires setting standards and holding them. The “Take the Helm” sections in this book push readers toward that kind of application. They move beyond reflection and into action. The “Eyes on the Horizon” sections pull you back to the bigger picture, reminding you that leadership is about more than today’s tasking.

Another strength of Helm & Horizon is its tone. It doesn’t shout, it doesn’t dramatize and it assumes the reader understands responsibility. That restraint gives the book credibility. It reads like it was written by someone who has stood the watch and carried the weight. I also appreciate that the book does not confine itself to officers. Too many leadership discussions unintentionally separate the Mess from the Wardroom. This book speaks to Sailors at every level. The principles apply on the deckplates just as much as they do in the planning cell. Over the years, I’ve seen Sailors attend leadership courses, leave motivated, and then fall back into old habits once the tempo picked up. Motivation fades, but structure endures and Helm & Horizon provides that structure. It gives leaders something to return to. It becomes a reference rather than a one-time read. That is its greatest strength.

If I were still in uniform, this is a book I would keep in my desk. It is one I would recommend to junior Sailors preparing for advancement, to Chiefs stepping into greater responsibility, and to officers learning how to earn trust rather than assume it. For anyone serious about professional growth, this book is worth your time, and more importantly, worth your consistency.”

— Anthony Jones, Chief Operations Specialist, USN (Ret.)

A Commander’s Reflection on Helm & Horizon

“After a full career in the United States Navy, I developed a healthy skepticism toward leadership literature. Too often, these books fall into one of two categories: either they oversimplify leadership into slogans, or they over-intellectualize it into theory divorced from reality.

Helm & Horizon, written by Steven-Paul Lapid, avoids both traps.

What struck me first was the book’s deliberate construction. The daily format reflects an understanding of professional reality. Senior leaders operate under compression (compressed timelines, compressed information, compressed margins for error, etc.). A format that allows for focused, consistent engagement becomes not only practical but necessary. And the substance of the book matches its structure. Lapid draws from a broad range of sources from historic leaders such as Admiral Nimitz and Admiral Zumwalt to contemporary voices like Stephen Covey and Simon Sinek, but the value lies in the synthesis. These examples are presented as case studies in judgment, preparation, and disciplined execution.

Perhaps most importantly, Helm & Horizon recognizes that professional development is cumulative. Formal schools, milestone courses, and reading lists all contribute to growth. What this book offers is continuity between those events. It provides a structured rhythm for thinking about leadership daily, reinforcing that improvement does not occur in leaps but through sustained attention. For officers transitioning into broader roles, senior enlisted leaders shaping large teams, or professionals outside the military assuming greater organizational responsibility, this book provides a reliable framework that encourages discipline in navigating complexity.

If time allows for only one leadership book on your shelf, Helm & Horizon is the one I would prioritize.”

— Howard Fielden, Commander, USN (Ret.)