Tim Sanders: People-Centric Business Expert
January 27, 2010
Read to lead
(Photo by Lesley Bohm)
I believe that book readers are better leaders.
A few years ago, in a trade magazine, I read the result of a poll of a few thousand business folk from small biz to corporate enterprise. The average person read about one business or self-help book a year. On the other hand, the average senior executive read over six books a year. I'm not surprised because I've known many executives that were passionate about being well read and not just by USA Today, CNBC and various web sites. Book readers are committed to personal and professional growth.
Remember, the role of the leader (according to Napoleon) is to define reality, then give hope. If you commit yourself to read a good book every month, you'll keep you head in between reality and hope. If you, instead, fill your head with noise, fast food media, shock media and biz-gossip, you'll swing to an extreme and start to lose followers and influence.
Read in these three areas for real growth: Rah (Inspiration, Motivation, Power), How (How to accomplish things from personal to business, including business/company stories.) and Next (what the future holds, and what that means to you and your business ecosystem). Each year, read at least four books in each category and you'll find yourself confidence, eager to share and very balanced in your leadership approach.
Check out my book tip category for some recommended reads.
Comments
I have always been a voracious reader but 'Love Is The Killer App' sent me into overdrive! I read at least one book a week these days. I recommend "You Are Not A Gadget" by Jaron Lanier if you haven't caught it yet...Recent good reads also include: "The Talent Code", "How We Decide", "Switch", and "Predictably Irrational". "Drive", "Lynchpin", and "Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation" are in the Q...
Tim,
I learned this while reading Love is The Killer App. Still impacting me. It takes practice to be a book reader and to share insights with others.
I would be interested in a virtual book club too!
Tim
Heath - I'm totally game for it. Please contact me via email or FB and let's get this going.
Tim Sanders
I just finished John Ratey's "Spark," which is about exercise's impact on the brain. In the batter's box are "What's Next? Dispatches from the Future of Science," Dan Pink's "Drive," and Seth Godin's new "Linchpin." Curious whether Tim would be interested in convening a virtual book group. We could pick a title, and then discuss by phone or via teleconference. (Or, he could just do a little video bit, and we could comment.) Thoughts?
The power of reading can't be emphasized enough. Earlier this year I set a goal for myself. I am going to read a 52 books this year. I am 5 books into it and I am experiencing something I didn't expect. Reading appears to rewire you brain. Ideas start flying around in there and combining them in unusual ways becomes magical.
Plus, the more you read, the more you want to read. Thank goodness because a book a week is a lot of books.
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Hello Tim,
At the beginning, thank you so much for your inspiring books and posts!
100% agreement with what you have written above ;-). But I have one serious problem: believe it or not, but in 21st century, in relatively big country in the middle of Europe (I mean Poland, were I live) it’s hard (or even impossible sometimes) to buy some bestselling (English) books. Additionally, importing them is expensive and literally takes weeks or even months. Here is my short story: I’m 23, this year I’ll graduate from technical university and I’m trying to answer one question: How I should live my life? I realized, that I will find the answer in the books. I’ve prepared the list of must-read books (about 15), with such authors as Stephen Covey, Keith Ferrazzi, Richard Koch, Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki and you of course ;-). I prepared some money (it’s usually not easy while being a student, but I treat it as investment) and decided to buy one book per month. Beginnings were quite simple: I’ve bought “80/20” by Richard Koch, “Black swan” and “Fooled by randomness” by N. N. Taleb and then… I asked in bookstore about your books and the seller answered, that there is no such author ;-). Importing “The likeability factor” took two months. I have been looking for “Love is the killer app” and “The art of the start” by Guy Kawasaki for about three months and still I haven’t found bookstore, which will get it for me. It’s really annoying when you really want to read all those books and you simply can’t.
I've bought ebook once, but paper books are infinitely better (to be honest, I've discovered, that I'm virtually not able to read ebooks at all). To read a book with pleasure I need not only the sense of sight, but also sense of touch and sense of smell as well.
And one final thought: I really envy you bookstores in United States ;-). Some day I will go to American bookstore and buy all books that I will want ;-).
Wish you all the best!
Piotr (Peter)
Posted by: Piotr | February 15, 2010 at 02:35 PM