‘Take the Wheel’ Named Finalist in Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Vlad Sopov’s leadership guide earns national recognition in the Business category

SAFETY HARBOR, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Every day, managers are handed responsibility before they're given the tools to lead. Take the Wheel: How to Influence Anyone and Be the Leader People Want to Follow was written to close that gap. Sopov Media announces today that the book has been named a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (NGIBA), Business category. Honorees will be recognized at an awards reception hosted at the historic Newberry Library in Chicago, IL on June 26, 2026.

Now in its 20th year, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards is one of the largest and most prestigious awards programs for independent publishers and authors in the world, recognizing outstanding books across more than 70 categories. A Finalist designation in the Business category places Take the Wheel among the most distinguished independently published business books of 2025.

Take the Wheel is built on a single insight that most leadership books miss: ownership without influence stalls, and influence without ownership collapses. The book is structured in two parts: personal ownership and professional influence, giving readers a complete framework for leading in environments where authority is limited, expectations are high, and results are still required.

Vlad Sopov’s firsthand credibility carried weight with the panel. As a marketing technology manager, he has spent his career leading teams through complex, high-pressure environments: clearing 1,800-task backlogs without adding headcount, reducing error rates from 26% to 1.2%, and building distributed teams that cut operating costs by 80%. His leadership philosophy is not theoretical, it was built through trial, error, and the kind of pressure that reveals what actually works.

Take the Wheel is available in the following formats:

Print and Digital: Amazon (ISBN: 979-8999493101) — rated 5.0 stars across 26 reviews

Audio: Audible and Apple Books

About Vlad Sopov

Vlad Sopov is a marketing technology manager, founder of Sopov Media, and author of Take the Wheel, a 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist. He lives in Safety Harbor, Florida.

About the Next Generation Indie Book Awards

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards recognizes outstanding independent books across more than 70 categories. Now in its 20th year, it is one of the most prestigious awards programs for independent publishers and authors worldwide.