Reading and Leading

Reading Time/Feeding Time

Leaders are readers - and listeners.

That means that they also spend a lot of money on books and audio and are always looking for ways to save.

Tell me I can't read and watch me shrivel up and die. 

I need fresh material.

Many of the great stories and essays have already been written, but many more are being written daily.

I crave the old and the new. Principles never change, but challenges do and so do strategies for applying principles.

We need to be grounded in the past, present in the present, and alert to the future so that we can be one step ahead of change. We spend a great deal of time in our cars these days.

For that reason, as it has often been said, we need to turn those vehicles into universities on wheels. If we are valuing our time behind the wheel as learning time, we will be less stressed about traffic jams and less likely to be dialing our cell phones. Audio books are an excellent option for those hours of driving.

My reading comes in waves where sometimes I am finishing a book a day and sometimes reading very slowly and digesting what I read. However, balanced out over the years of my life, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on books and audio. Now I am looking for ways to save money without cutting back on consumption.

I shop for used books sometimes. There are numerous sources - online and in real time and space. I use the library, but it is difficult to get the most current titles. No problem, there are thousands of classics I have not yet read. Get a library card. I actually do buy new books and shop for the best deals I can get. I borrow books, but I am at the mercy of the reading habits of my friends.

However you acquire your material, read and listen to it. it is not on your self to impress people or decorate your office. It is there to help you grow as a person and a leader.