April 12, 2012

Why I Read: Leadership, Learning, and a Lifelong Reading Habit

Reading helps us become better leaders because it helps us become more curious people. It gives us access to experiences we haven’t lived, ideas we haven’t considered, and perspectives we might never encounter otherwise.

I’ve read hundreds of books since then. In recent years, I’ve gone from reading 10 or 20 books a year to more than 70 in 2025 alone. About a quarter of those are audiobooks, which I’ve found is a different way of engaging with a book. Listening while running, driving, or doing something else allows me to experience stories and ideas differently than I do when I sit down with a physical book.

And a few years ago, I started counting the books I read aloud to my kids. At first that almost felt like cheating! But I quickly realized there is some incredible children’s and young adult literature out there. Reading those books together has introduced me to stories, characters, ideas, and conversations I never would have encountered if I only counted the books I picked out for myself.

But the number of books isn’t really the point.

Why Should Leaders Read?

I read for all sorts of reasons now. I read novels simply because they’re fun. I read because I want to learn something specific—about leadership, business, parenting, money, relationships, psychology, or some other skill I’m trying to develop. I read biographies and history because there is so much we can learn from people who lived through circumstances completely different from our own. And sometimes I read about a subject simply because I’m curious.

Looking back through the books I’ve read, what strikes me most is how broad the list has become. Leadership books sit next to thrillers. Parenting books next to science fiction. Children’s literature next to biographies. Philosophy, history, psychology, spirituality, business, fantasy, and memoir all find their way in.

There’s an old saying: “Leaders are readers.” I’d expand that a little. The connection between reading and leadership isn’t simply about consuming more business books. Reading helps us become better leaders because it helps us become more curious people. It gives us access to experiences we haven’t lived, ideas we haven’t considered, and perspectives we might never encounter otherwise.

Make Reading a Daily Habit

So, 14 years after publishing this little post, my recommendation is much the same—only stronger: read more.

Read for fun. Read to learn. Read to your kids. Listen to an audiobook. Read about things you know nothing about. Read things that challenge the way you think. Keep a book by your bed, listen while you’re running or driving, or carve out 20 minutes in the morning.

However you do it, make reading part of your routine. Developing a reading habit doesn’t require finishing dozens of books every year. A few pages—or a few minutes—at a time adds up to an extraordinary amount of learning over a lifetime.

A Few Books That Have Stuck With Me

Looking back through all these books, it’s hard to pick favorites. Different books find us at different moments and serve different purposes. But a few stand out as good examples of why I continue to read so much.

For doing hard things: The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday has been a great reminder that so often, the only way forward is through. We can’t always avoid the obstacle or find a shortcut around it. Sometimes we simply have to do the work. That pairs well with Do Hard Things by Steve Magness, another reminder that growth usually requires discomfort, effort, and persistence if we want the reward on the other side.

For leadership: The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker isn’t really a leadership book, but it has significantly influenced the way I lead. It changed how I think about the purpose of bringing people together. Whether it’s a meeting, event, team, or some other gathering, why are we here? How do we create a shared experience? And how can we be more intentional about bringing people together so we can move toward a common goal?

For reading with my kids: A few years ago, I reread Hatchet by Gary Paulsen with my son when he was in fifth grade—the same age I was when I first read it. I loved getting to experience that coming-of-age survival story again through his eyes. It still holds up. And it still makes me hope I never have to survive a plane crash alone in the Canadian wilderness.

For understanding the world I grew up in: I loved Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties. It was incredibly fun to revisit the decade when I went from being a kid to becoming an adult. But it also helped me see that period differently—the culture, technology, politics, media, and ideas that shaped us, and just how dramatically the world changed during those ten years.

Those books have almost nothing in common, and maybe that’s the point. Reading doesn’t have to serve one purpose. A book can make me a better leader, help me do something difficult, give me something to share with my kids, teach me about history, or simply keep me turning pages because I’m having fun.

And apparently, that’s not a new idea for me. Here’s what I wrote about reading back in April 2012:

2012 Original Post:

2012 has been dubbed The Year of the Here by us at LVC. That means many things (post coming soon). One aspect is a commitment to reading good books about teamwork, strengths, leadership, business, human development and other stuff that informs the work we do. I’ve been reading since 1st grade when Mrs. Peterson taught me how. However, as professionals striving to better ourselves and our clients, our commitment is to review these books, in ways that will help others. Hence, a new section on our blog. We have several in the pipeline (and back logged), so here are a few you can expect over the next several weeks.

Until we can get all the stuff we’re reading out of our head, here’s an interesting info graphic from 2011 books from the folks over at GoodReads.com.