Reading Makes You A Better Leader

The leadership benefits of reading are wide-ranging and history is littered not only with great leaders who were avid readers and writers, but with business leaders who believed that deep, broad reading cultivated in them the knowledge, habits, and talents to improve their organizations. Reading, whether Wikipedia, Brian Tracy or Aristotle, is one of the quickest ways to acquire and assimilate new information. Reading increases verbal intelligence, making a leader a more adept and articulate communicator. Here are some of the reasons why you should start reading more to be a better leader.

Reading makes you a better thinker.

As a leader, you’ll need a lot of general information to maintain perspective and seize opportunities. Reading is the most efficient way to acquire information and stay updated on the topics that are relevant to your work. It helps you become more analytical, aiding your judgement and problem-solving skills. Correctly sizing up a situation, often with incomplete information and limited time, is critical for being an effective leader. Reading will provide you with that extra perspective during such situations.

Reading makes you a better communicator.

The most effective leaders are also the most effective communicators. When you read across genres and topics, you automatically pick up language proficiency that transfers across the board, including speaking and writing. Words are powerful tools and reading helps you master them by helping you understand which words to use when. Whether you want to persuade or motivate, if you know how to convey the message correctly, you can definitely get things done your way.

Reading reminds you.

Reading is not a one-time activity. If you have read a book that has helped you improve your skills and perform better, you can always fall back to that book any time you feel like you need guidance. Whether you re-read the same book or article to remind you of concepts or read content on time management and organization as a constant reminder to work on these things, reading is valuable because it keeps important concepts top of mind.

Reading challenges you.

There may be times when you start reading a book and the concepts mentioned in its pages are at odds with your own experiences. The book may advice blending in with your team but you would have realized through experience that this may not be a good idea. Reading a book that challenges your opinions can offer you newer perspectives and can have a big impact on your ability to think, both creatively and logically.

Reading gives you opportunities to interact with others.

The great thing about readers is that they love to share books or articles they think are worth reading and might benefit you. Whether it’s case studies, market research documents or a well-written business article, sharing reading material becomes a medium for you to stay in touch with your peers in a way that can benefit you and them.