Your thesis was written for academics professors, examiners, maybe even policy-makers. A book, on the other hand, should speak to business owners, managers, students, consultants, or anyone interested in how SMEs actually work and grow in the real world. So, ask yourself:

“If I were sitting across from a young Ghanaian entrepreneur, what would I want them to take away from this?

Start with real-life situations. You’ve done research maybe interviews, surveys, or case studies. Use those to build a narrative. Show how different leadership styles (say, transformational or autocratic) actually played out in Ghana’s manufacturing SMEs. Were there any surprises? Any failures that led to success?

Readers remember stories much more than abstract models.

Academic language can be dense. Your job now is to translate not dilute your insights. Instead of saying:

“This research examines the correlation between transformational leadership and organizational productivity”

Say something like:

“We found that factories led by inspirational, forward-thinking leaders tended to perform better especially when workers felt valued and involved in decision-making.”

Keep your tone clear, engaging, and respectful of your reader’s time.

At the end of each chapter, offer key takeaways. You could even add tools like:

Reflection questions

Practical tips for SME owners

Action plans for improving leadership and strategy

Your journey through this thesis matters. What did you learn? What surprised you? What frustrated or inspired you? Sharing a bit of yourself makes your book more human, and readers will connect with that.

1. Clarify Your Purpose and Audience

Your thesis speaks to academics, but a book can target:

• SME owners and managers in Ghana and beyond
• Policymakers focused on industrial growth
• Business consultants or MBA students

Shift from academic jargon to accessible, engaging language that maintains depth but broadens appeal.

2. Restructure the Format

• Introduction: Start with real-world relevance—why strategy, leadership, and performance matter for SMEs in Ghana’s growth story.
• Chapters: Reorganize into thematic chapters (e.g., “Navigating Strategy in Volatile Markets,” “Leadership That Drives Performance”).
• Case studies: Expand or add practical case narratives to enrich insights.
• Conclusion: Offer actionable takeaways or policy recommendations.

3. Refine the Title

Make it more marketable. For example:

“Leading Growth: Strategy, Leadership, and Performance in Ghana’s SME Manufacturing Sector”

4. Seek a Publisher or Self-Publish

• Consider academic publishers like Palgrave Macmillan or Routledge if you want credibility.
• For broader reach, explore hybrid or self-publishing (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark).

5. Add Value Beyond the Thesis

Include post-thesis developments, updated data, or commentary on current trends (e.g., how COVID-19 impacted SME leadership).

The first point is obvious! A book is much longer! A thesis often focuses on academic references around a specific topic whereas a book should include case studies and your own evidence based research.

One of the common faults is that authors do not have enough material to fill a complete book so tend to fill it with repetitive themes which becomes boring. Much better to have short book that is interesting and full of facts than a long book that is repetitive and boring. Make sure each chapter stands on its own both by title and content.

What I have learned can be seen in our acclaimed book, Leading Beyond the Ego which is packed with new content in every chapter but follows a theme. Have a look at https://www.leadershapeglobal.com/lbte-second-edition - and remember your differentiator is the Ghana story!

Good luck

John

A book covers a wider area of interest to a specific field while thesis are centered on a topic. How ever the specific objectives of the thesis can be developed to become a good book.