Project Overview

I am completing a nonfiction leadership and career development book titled Who Is Pulling Your Sled? The book introduces a professional development framework called the Dogsled Leadership Framework, which uses the metaphor of a dogsled team to explain how strategic professional relationships help move a career forward.
The framework describes how different types of relationships; mentors, decision-makers, peers, and trusted supporters work together to help individuals build momentum in their careers.
I am looking for a designer to create a small set of clean, conceptual diagrams that visually represent this framework. These diagrams are intended to function as teaching visuals that make the ideas in the book easier to understand at a glance.
These illustrations are not decorative artwork. They should communicate ideas clearly and simply, similar to diagrams used in leadership books, consulting frameworks, or Harvard Business Review articles.

Visual Style
The style should be:
• Clean and modern
• Minimalist and professional
• Easy to understand quickly
• Suitable for a leadership/business audience
• Simple line art or vector-style diagrams

Think of the visual clarity used in books such as:
• Atomic Habits
• Start With Why
• The Lean Startup
• Harvard Business Review conceptual diagrams

The goal is something that feels professional and strategic rather than playful or cartoonish.

Number of Diagrams
This project includes four conceptual diagrams.

Diagram 1: The Complete Dogsled Leadership Framework
This is the core diagram of the book.
It visually represents the full framework and how the different relationship roles work together.

Elements include:
• The Musher – representing the individual providing career direction (Purpose, Passion, Price, Perspective)
• Lead Dogs – decision-makers who open doors to opportunity
• Guide Dogs – mentors, coaches, advocates, and champions who provide guidance and development
• Team Dogs – peers and colleagues who collaborate and grow alongside you
• Wheel Dogs – foundational relationships that provide unconditional support
• The Trail – representing career direction and strategic alignment

This diagram should show how these elements work together to move a career forward.

Diagram 2: Career Sled Balance Model

This diagram will be a two-axis diagnostic model.
The axes represent:
• Strength of career direction (clarity of the Musher)
• Strength of professional relationships
The four quadrants illustrate common patterns professionals experience, such as:
• Balanced / Aligned Sled
• Support-Heavy Sled
• Top-Heavy Sled
• Lonely Musher

The goal of this visual is to help readers quickly diagnose where their current professional network may be out of balance.

Diagram 3: Common Sled Imbalances

This diagram illustrates how a career network becomes imbalanced when one relationship type dominates.

It may show simplified comparisons such as:
• Too many support relationships but few opportunity relationships
• Too many senior connections but weak peer or foundation support
• Strong peer network but limited mentorship or access to leadership

This visual reinforces the idea that successful professionals build balanced relationship systems rather than relying on only one type of connection.

Diagram 4: The Sled-Building Strategy

This diagram illustrates the process for building a strong career sled over time.
The process unfolds in three phases:
• Phase 1 – Foundation Building
• Phase 2 – Strategic Expansion
• Phase 3 – Integration and Leverage

This visual helps readers understand how to intentionally build and activate their network.

How the Diagrams Will Be Used

These diagrams will appear:
• Inside the book to help readers understand the framework
• In keynote presentations and leadership workshops
• In professional development materials
• Potentially in social media graphics or thought leadership content after publication

Because of this, the visuals should be clear, scalable, and adaptable for both print and presentations.

Deliverables
Final files should include:
• Print-ready high-resolution files
• Vector or editable source files (AI or SVG preferred)
• PNG versions suitable for presentations and digital use

Timeline
Flexible, but ideally within 3–4 weeks.

Collaboration
I have clear conceptual ideas for each diagram but welcome creative suggestions on how best to visually represent the framework.

The goal is to produce visuals that make the framework intuitive and memorable for readers.