Leaders Read and Turn Knowledge Into Wisdom

How Many Books or Courses Have You Engaged With This Year?

Successful leaders read consistently.

Make no mistake; leaders are not born. Effective leaders are deliberate people who adhere to the “bend the universe” mindset of Steve Jobs. Leaders consume knowledge through every resource possible.

Of course, we all know that being a knowledgeable person won’t make you successful.  Wisdom, or learning how to apply knowledge in the right situation at the right time, is the final objective.  We could say that insight follows intelligence (or information).

What to Read?

Here is the good news; you don’t need to be reading textbooks to get smart.  Reading a wide variety of subjects increases your ability to comprehend the big picture and what is most important to you and your work. That scope of understanding is cohesive for creative talent to solve problems in any venture.

Studies show that reading makes you smarter through “a larger vocabulary and more world knowledge in addition to the abstract reasoning skills.” Whether you read Wikipedia, Michael Lewis,or Aristotle, you will quickly acquire and assimilate new information through reading.

Many business people claim that reading across fields is good for creativity because it creates broadness in thinking. And leaders who apply aspects of other areas, such as sociology, physical sciences, economics, and psychology to their organizations, are more likely to innovate and prosper.

Did you know that Winston Churchill won his Nobel prize in literature, not peace?  History is full of great leaders who were avid readers and writers.

Leaders Read to Lead More Effectively

Reading increases verbal intelligence, which makes you a more adept and articulate communicator. Reading novels can raise your awareness of historical challenges and customs. You can develop social cues by watching your character’s behaviors.  Even empathy and the understanding of another’s feelings increase when you read a great novel as you see the world through a different lens. We have already established the vital role of strong interpersonal skills in leadership,  and the heightened emotional intelligence or (EQ) developed in reading is at the core of healthy relationships.

Worklife Balance and A Good Read

Finally, consistently reading improves your work-life balance, so you reduce stress and remain healthy and happy. Aside from personal well-being, according to the Matthew Effect, readers experience a sense of success, increased financial reward, and the ability to see and comprehend life on different terms.  Not surprisingly, history reveals that genius is not limited to the best schools or education, so don’t underestimate the power of your local library on your personal knowledge.

The Cumulative Effect of Leaders Who Read

If you read only 65 minutes a day – you will have read – 4,358,000 words per year.  Maybe your workload is so heavy that you can only squeak out 20 minutes each morning. If you can increase your time to 21.1 minutes each day, in one year, you will devour 1,823,000 words. And remarkable as it may seem, one second of reading each day would render 8,000 words each year.

There is no reason that you and I can’t keep growing and accumulating knowledge that empowers wisdom.

If only we had more wisdom in our world today, imagine the impact.

Today is a great day to begin the habit of reading. and the impacts will stay with you for life