A leadership requirement...

Let’s just put it out there right away so there is no need to read any further unless you want to. In a Harvard Business Review article by John Coleman entitled For Those Of You Who Want To Lead, Read he writes:

But deep, broad reading habits are often a defining characteristic of our greatest leaders and can catalyze insight, innovation, empathy, and personal effectiveness.

So there you have it; for anyone who fancies themselves a leader it may be worth counting the books on your night table — at the very least it’s some quantitative data you can work with.

And if you need further proof, in the book STILLNESS IS THE KEY (which I’m reading for the second time) Ryan Holiday offers a perspective on the subject:

Tolstoy expressed his exasperation at people who didn’t read deeply and regularly. “I cannot understand,” he said, “how some people can live without communicating with the wisest people who ever lived on the earth.” There is another line, now cliché, that is even more cutting. People who don’t read have no advantage over those who cannot read.


I hated to read until two things happened; I started wearing glasses and had an inspirational grade eight teacher. I’m not a particularly fast reader, I like to savour every word, and over the years, I’ve collected my fair share of books — sometimes I would have two or three books on the go so ownership became less costly than borrowing from the local library. As I read and collected there was a point where I got it in my head it was nicer to have my books stacked then on a shelf; be it stacked on my night table or stacked on the floor. It was my very own literary art. Most of the books I’ve read (if only just in part), and for those I haven’t started yet, the book is on the go — I ‘m just on page one.

I can’t say my eclectic stacks of books make me a good leader, but rather, something I am working on.

iamgpe

PS — As for this stack of books I can only say I’m not sure why I got it in my head to take a course on Statistical Techniques; The SILK ROADS: A NEW HISTORY OF THE WORLD offers a fresh perspective on how we got to where we are; although 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is still on the go, I definitely need to check to see if there is any insights into dealing with pandemics. And it goes without saying that Dilbert is simply a must.

Moments — the power and beauty of bookclub.

The reason most people do not accomplish more is that they do not attempt more. The boy who does not read good books, who does not embrace every opportunity to extend his general knowledge, has no advantage over the boy who cannot read books and who does not have opportunity to extend his knowledge. 

                                                      "Bulletin” of the National Association of Corporation Schools July 1915

Somehow I found myself part of a "bookclub" that reads business books. We get together after each book is read to discuss its major themes and what we gleaned from it — we also drink wine and beer, have something to eat, and discuss the merits of the latest superhero action movie.

The group consists mostly of people working on their MBA part time — although we are not all doing that. We are all there to learn, share our perspectives, meet new people, and build upon the opportunities that come with all of this.

Our last book club involved the merits of "discomfort" for personal growth and development (the book was The Beauty of Discomfort) — we also discussed our dreams for the future, the possibly of moving to China, the serendipity of common connections, a trip to Germany, and how the blockbuster superhero movies of 2018 will be amazing.

These were the conversations of people attempting to do more.

I'd like to thank Adrian, and Laura, and Victoria, and Behnam, and Renée, and Jenn, and Doug, and Robert — I am richer for the opportunity of book club.

iamgpe