I recently said “Leaders are readers” in a meeting, and someone responded “Ack, I am so tired of hearing that old saw.” Another chimed in with “I prefer to listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos.”
I would encourage everyone to exploit the mediums that work best for them. There is great content in audio and video form. But don’t give up on reading, especially reading books. Reading good and hard books transforms you differently than watching many movies.
There is a kind of compound interest that comes from systematically reading books. You’re building up a library of ideas, stories, quotes, and insights. Your brain percolates through the material and you develop an increasing ability to smoothly transition across ideas and disciplines. You can summon the experiences of others at will. You will see patterns in your real world experience and tie it back to the books. The vicarious experiences absorbed from books help you assess situations quickly and make better decisions. Books can teach you much faster than making all the mistakes yourself.
Leaders can use this compound interest to identify worthwhile objectives, and persuade people to come along with you.
