Axios Solutions, Inc.

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?

There’s this thing that sometimes happens inside our heads when we think thoughts.

Sometimes — maybe even a lot of the time — when we have thoughts, we assume they’re right and true, just because we thought them.

You don’t have to let your imagination run very far without figuring that this assumption might be a problem.

Life isn’t a solo sport.

If the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing quarantine has taught us anything, it’s that life is better together. And that we need each other. Because we were created for relationships and community.

When it comes to personal development, there are a few key relationships you need to help you grow: Coaches, Mentors, and Peer Advisory Groups.

They’re all different, and they serve different purposes, but you need them all.

It’s been said that you’re always in one of three places: In the middle of a storm, coming out of a storm, or headed into one. Storms of life aren’t that much fun, but it’s in the storms that you find out what you’re made of — what’s really inside of you.

But here’s the thing: it can either be a surprise discovery, or an anticipated result.

If you want it to be a discovery, then stop reading right now and carry on with your life, oblivious and indifferent to the amazing possibilities ahead. No offense taken. Just know it might not be a pleasant surprise.

If you want it to be an anticipated result — something you’ve planned and prepared for — then it’s time to start moving on your personal development. That’s what’s going to help you weather the next storm.

We are living in the information age — we have the world’s knowledge literally at our fingertips 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s pretty awesome when you think about it!

But when you start digging to find the information you need, it can be overwhelming. There are so many voices, a deluge of experts, all vying for your time, attention, and money. How can you possibly know who to listen to and accept advice from?

Besides, those experts might be smart, but they don’t really know you or your leadership complexities. You need people who you can talk to in real life, who can see the whites of your eyes and ask the right questions — because they know you. You need relationships.