Brain Food Wednesdays: Does Leadership Reading Prevent You from Understanding the Context in a Book?

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Dear Reader,

In this week’s newsletter, the 148th issue, I’m answering the question, if reading like a leader prevents you from understanding the context of a book.

Do you take consistent action to achieve your goals? Consistency is something I often struggle with. I have to break down goals, so they’re easier to achieve. Earlier this year, I took part in The 100-Day Project. It was the fourth time I’d done it. The first, third and fourth time I completed the project without missing a day. But the results between my first and third and fourth time were very different.

The 100-Day Project was created for creatives. During my first attempt, I tried to do what I thought was creative. Yes, I finished, but my results were embarrassing. I was trying to be someone I wasn’t. The third time around, I did something I was good at. Every day for a hundred days, I wrote five ideas from books I’d read. The fourth time my focus was on book recommendations. I didn’t care whether others thought I was creative. People ask me to recommend books to them all the time.

One thing I noticed, though, was that when I took part in other challenges, participants supported each other. I didn’t find that happening any of the four times I took part in The 100-Day Project. At first, it bothered me, then I decided it doesn’t matter since I’m using the event to myself. People who read the five ideas and saw the recommendations learned from them, and some followers even bought the books.

Starting this Monday, I’m creating another 100-Day project for myself to achieve four important goals. In the 12-Week Year, you focus on three months at a time. One hundred days is just over three months, so I can use this activity to catapult my results.

What does Leadership Reading have to do with The 100 Day Project? I want to build out the content in the Art of Learning Leadership Academy, and I’m using leadership reading to help me achieve that goal. What 100-Day Project could you create for yourself?

Below, you’ll find the article I wrote, and I hope you find it helpful.

Ask Avil

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Does Leadership Reading Prevent You from Understanding the Context in a Book?​
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I’ve had this question asked a few times during my training sessions, where I teach professionals how to read selectively and strategically. I mostly focus on senior level executives, however, I’ve trained some more junior professionals. And interestingly enough, the context question came up in all the training I did.

In the business world, leaders are often required to read large amounts of text in a short amount of time. This can be a difficult task, but there are certain strategies that leaders can use to make the process more efficient. By using these strategies, leaders can save time and increase their comprehension.

According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, leaders spend 60 percent of their time reading. That’s more time than they spend on any other activity, including sleeping and working. So, if you want to be a leader, you need to know how to read effectively. Here are some tips:

First, leaders have questions they want a book or other reading materials to answer. Or, they need specific types of information. They have a purpose for reading.

Second, leaders need to read quickly and efficiently. They can’t afford to spend hours reading every word of every document. And they can’t afford to let their eyes glaze over when reading. They must be selective when looking for the key points of a text and looking for information that is important but not clear.

To get through reading material quickly, I recommend leaders craft specific questions they want answered.

I want to mention again that only four to 11 percent of the text on a page carries meaning. The other 89 to 9 percent of text is supporting information and context. I always ask, “How much context do you need?”

When you’re engaged in leadership reading, if there are times you feel you’re missing something, simply flip back a few pages to see what you missed. A lot of times, it’s because of the fear of missing out (FOMO). As you read like a leader more frequently, you’ll notice that you’re no longer flipping back to see what ‌you missed out on.

Definition of Leadership Reading

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“Leadership reading is reading with a bent toward making the page impact our lives. It is more than just pleasure, although it can be immensely enjoyable. It is more than reading a lot of books, although it will certainly take us through many volumes. Leadership reading is the active, intentional devouring of the greatest writings applied with earnestness toward the highest aspirations. It is a lifestyle habit that is open to everyone but taken advantage of by only a select few.”​
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Leadership reading is also reading to learn what you need to know. When you have a purpose for reading, you will focus on the information that’s important to you.

Leaders are constantly bombarded with information, so it’s important that they know how to read efficiently to make the best decisions. Reading is a skill that can be honed, and there are certain techniques that leaders can use to read more effectively.

Some benefits of reading for leaders include gaining knowledge, developing empathy, and improving communication skills. Reading also helps leaders to think critically and find creative solutions to problems.

In conclusion, reading is essential for leaders in today’s fast-paced world. By learning how to read effectively, leaders can gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

Join my membership site, Art of Learning Leadership Academy, at an introductory price as we build out the content on the site. Be one of the founding members.​
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​Art of Learning Leadership Academy Membership Site​

Until Next Week,

Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor

​theinvisiblementor.com

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