Leadership Corner: Leaders are Learners

I think that every book I have ever read on leadership has emphasized the importance of being a learner. They say when you stop learning, eventually you will stop leading. Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward in their book, Launching a Leadership Revolution, said "it is a fact that most of the greatest leaders throughout history have been avid readers" (127).

For me, books have been the most important means of growth in my life as a leader. I was released by the Cardinals in 2004 and up until then my whole life was devoted to baseball. A year later I was in the ministry as a youth pastor and felt like I was way behind the curve. At that point my only responsibilities were on Wednesday night and Sunday's so I had a lot of time to read. It was during this time that I really began to see the benefits of reading and grow as a leader.

One leader said that you can tell who someone will become in five years based on the books they read and the people they hang out with. I believe him.

Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Church in Chicago, said that "leaders have a responsibility before God to constantly get better, and one of the most reliable ways to do so is to read. Great leaders read frequently. They read voraciously" (Axiom, 196).

Very few people read and those who do normally read for entertainment, not growth. What about you? What books have you read recently? Are you reading books that stretch your thinking or do you just read books that are easy? Do you read a wide variety of books or do you just read the latest bestseller?

Wherever you are in life become a reader. Make it a priority to read at least a half an hour a day. I promise it will help you stretch and grow as a leader.