Be a Leader: Read!

It’s frequently said that those who lead, read. Research has shown that reading keeps leaders smart, creative and social. For those who want to lead, reading is not a "nice to have" or a luxury; reading is a habit successful leaders consider critical to their success.

“In my whole life, I have known no wise people who didn’t read all the time – none, zero. You’d be amazed at how much Warren(Buffett) reads – at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I’m a book with a couple of legs sticking out.” – Charles T. Munger, Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger

The conviction as to the importance of reading for leaders is not unique to billionaire Charles Munger. Tom Peters made the following comment in an interview with McKinsey Quarterly:

I was at a dinner party recently with a guy who’s probably one of the top ten finance people in the world. At one point he said, “Do you know what the biggest problem is with big-company CEOs? They don’t read enough.” –  Tom Peters on leading the 21st-century organization

As a leader if you’re not reading daily don’t be surprised if you find yourself falling behind your peers!

Reading is a habit and like any other habit it needs to be purposefully developed.
Want to know 6 Steps to a Daily Reading Habit?  Check out  Leaders Need a Daily Reading Habit, by George Ambler.