Good Leaders are Readers

Good Leaders Read

Recently, during mentoring calls with clients I have been recommending a lot of books. Ironically, I don’t get a lot of time to read these days, but I vow to do better from now on. There is a large school of thought which says that ‘Leaders should be Readers’. I wholeheartedly agree with this notion for so many reasons.

-          Reading is a way of gaining thought leadership which you might not get from your current employers and colleagues;

-          Reading can open your horizons and spark ideas from completely outside the box;

-          Although reading will inevitably give you food for thought and encounter many ideas for improvement, it may also give you the positive affirmation you have been seeking;

-          What you are reading sparks topics for discussion on your social media, within your peer circle and with your teams- start meaningful and useful discussions;

-          Even the most long-winded management books can offer some form of escapism, a doorway into another world even for a short period of time…

I often re-read books that have really struck a chord with me such as the amazing selection of articles in Organization Development compiled by Joan V. Gallos. One of my absolute favourites, and something I use continually in my work, is the article 8 Step Process for Leading Change by Dr John Kotter. It is a must-read for all project and change managers. You can get more information here if you would be interested in learning more.

If you follow my Linked In Account you’ll know that I love the Harvard Business Review for its articles – it is unashamedly my go-to airport magazine! (Unfortunately, yes, it’s true!) I post at least one article a week that I find interesting and ‘of the moment’ – so subscribing to Forbes, HBR, Time Magazine and other super interesting is a great way of keeping up to date with what’s happening in the world of business and introducing topics for discussion with your network.

What books/ articles/ magazines/ websites are on your recommendation list for Leaders?

Over the past few weeks, I have had varied discussions about the following for example:

1.       Multipliers by Greg McKeown & Liz Wiseman:

2.       Who Moved my Cheese by Spencer Johnson;

3.       Career Advice for Ambitious Women by Mrs. Moneypenny; and

4.       The Leadership Factor by Dr John Kotter.

I have masses of books here on my bookshelves and on my Kindle but it’s always great to hear new recommendations from people. So, I’m looking for a list of your favourite Leadership books of the moment…what can we be reading which can help us to guide our businesses through these uncertain times? Email your recommendations directly to me or post on Facebook/ Instagram to get the discussions started.