An interesting tidbit about trite sayings or phrases is that they are usually true. While they are often overused to the point of dilution, there is some value in reevaluating some of these phrases. One phrase that comes to mind is “readers are leaders”. It feels like this phrase was invented to get kids to finish their reading homework, but I have found that the underlying truth is more powerful than I expected.
When I was young, I enjoyed reading to an extreme level. My mother used to use the library as a reward that I could earn by completing my chores or other tasks that I would not do otherwise. Somewhere along the line I quit reading and filled my leisure time with other activities. It was not until a year or two ago that I decided to reintroduce reading into my life and I feel like I have benefited from the practice. Here are some reasons why I think that an effective leader must make reading an intentional part of their life.
Reading provides insight into a multitude of situations
I started my return to reading by picking up books which seemed interesting to me based on the author’s resume. This led to reading mostly military biographies or historical non-fiction accounts of various conflicts around the world. I will never be given command of a military unit with a horrible reputation and terrible track record. I will never be responsible for turning that unit into an effective fighting force. I can, however, read About Face by Col. David Hackworth in which he describes his experience doing exactly that along with a multitude of other lessons that he has learned.
I also doubt that I will ever be privileged to sit down and speak with someone who was the Secretary of Defense for the United States and have an extended conversation with him regarding the lessons he has learned. One of the most amazing things is that I can purchase a book written by Robert Gates for $20 and read what he considered valuable enough to record for posterity. While I realize that not every biography is completely truthful, I hope the author has been honest enough with himself and his audience to also record his own missteps and admit his faults as well.
By becoming an avid reader an individual can open themselves up to experiencing things beyond their own personal observations. It is possible to drastically widen your viewpoint on the world due to the books you have read. It can almost be viewed as a superpower in which the reader has the ability to transport themselves across time and space to view history through the eyes of another.
The writing process refines ideas
A biographical book is beneficial in that it allows for the distillation of someone’s life into a digestible format. The writing process naturally condenses the subject’s life so that it will fit into a book of reasonable length. If the author is competent, they will painstakingly edit the book so that only the most valuable portions remain to be consumed by the reader.
A book about conceptual or ideological position reflects an untold number of hours in which the author has researched and reflected on his subject of choice. This allows me to outsource the mental heavy lifting to someone else and stand upon their shoulders rather than to do all that work myself. As I am writing this, I am astounded that I can purchase the product of someone else’s time, probably thousands of hours spent researching, for $20.
I don’t want to turn this site into something resembling an old man yelling at kids to get off his lawn, but I cannot escape the contrast between books and internet videos. A well-researched educational video may take 2-3 months to produce, but the majority of videos I spend my time watching do not fit this mold. Most videos that I watch are low-effort productions that I would estimate take less than 100 hours of work to produce. As I am writing this, I am being challenged to raise my standards for how I spend my free time. The phrase “garbage in, garbage out” comes to mind and I would rather spend my time consuming high-quality content that reflects hours of diligent thought by the creator. This is a sweeping generalization, and I am aware that there is an abundance of low-quality books to be found as well, however, I feel as if the general point is valid.
Reading allows for meditation over several days or multiple instances
An interesting phenomenon occurred to me while I was reading and thinking about this article during the last couple of days. I noticed that while I was reading, I was also thinking about the topic. Something that the author was developing in the book sparked my imagination and I began spinning my own train of thought as well. I also realized that I began thinking about the book while I was not reading it and noticing some of the general concepts discussed during other portions of my day. I feel as if my brain were processing the concepts discussed in the book on a subconscious level throughout the day. I don’t want to make too much out of this idea or make it seem extraordinary, but I feel as if there is some benefit to reading due to this effect.
Reading is one way to exercise your mind, and, like any other muscle, your mind will become stronger through exercise. I can’t easily think of another way to start the gears of your mind turning other than by picking up a book. I understand all too well the allure of being able to sit on the couch and not think about anything while a show is playing on the screen. However, when that show has ended and it is time for bed, am I taking anything with me that is of value? I might be able to find the same relaxation by reading a book while still provoking thoughts that will stay with me over the course of a few days.
So, I am challenging myself, and by proxy all of you, to spend my leisure time in a more beneficial manner. Rather than sit on the couch and consume YouTube videos as if they were cookies, I would like to spend the time reading whatever books I find interesting. Hopefully by taking this step I will open myself up to the benefits listed above. I am also hoping to integrate some of my reading into articles for this site as well. Stay tuned for some thoughts regarding books that I have found to be interesting.
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