Axios Solutions
Good News For The Busy Leader:
You Might Not Have To Finish The Book!
Good News For The Busy Leader: You Might Not Have To Finish The Book!
Leaders are readers.
A quick Google search on that sentence produces over 200 million results. It’s a widely-known idea, confirmed by the multi-million-dollar leadership publishing industry. Visit your local bookstore or library and see the scads of books dedicated to leadership, organizational development, and success.
Except — let’s be honest — some books feel like an information dump rather than an inspiration pump.
But what if I told you that you might not have to finish the book?
Some Good News
It’s true that the best leaders are always developing and improving their lives and work, and that process skews toward books and seminars and away from other media, like television and movies. There may be some crossover, but typically, books and written resources are the main vehicle for learning in the leadership development realm.
At Axios Solutions, we believe in the strength of reading books for personal development. So much so that we regularly utilize book summaries in the Christian Leadership MashUp™ from readitfor.me. It’s an online platform that summarizes and illustrates some of the most influential leadership books, like How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle, and Daring Greatly by Brené Brown.
But here’s the thing—and why these book summaries are so helpful—there’s no rule that says you have to read every word of every book in order for it to take root and be effective in your life. If you’ve gotten the most helpful ideas from a book that will aid your leadership journey, then you don’t have to finish the book!
Reading In Community
Reading a book or watching its contents splash across your screen is one thing, and it is incredibly beneficial. But what’s really going to help you in your leadership development isn’t just the content of any given book, but the opportunity to digest that content alongside other people. Being in the same room or meeting with someone else who has read or watched the same content exponentially expands the potential impact of the content. You can discuss the book’s concepts, bounce ideas off each other, and gather even more thoughts and viewpoints. That process helps you develop your thoughts, deepen your beliefs, and evaluate your convictions. It’s incredibly important and valuable to your personal development as a leader.
In the Christian Leadership MashUp™, that’s exactly what happens.
Because we were not created for learning or growing in isolation. Personal and professional development require a healthy, diverse and dynamic discourse with other people.
Yes, leaders are readers. Reading is an important part of your personal and professional growth. But when you have other people helping you digest information — helping you grow — then you might not have to read the whole book.