Remember those days when your mom or teacher would nag you to read the newspaper or an Enid Blyton novel? Well turns out there was a good reason for it. But if you took to reading how fish take to water, then you’re doing something right, and we’re here to tell you why.
When it comes down to sitting in a meeting, doing your job- there’s one thing we all can agree to and it’s that Knowledge is Power.
The person who knows the most, makes more points (better ones in fact) and can sway the conversation towards their direction with simple facts and logic.
Leaving you just sitting there wishing you could do the same. Well you can.
As simple as it sounds- just read! Learn more, no matter how relevant- it definitely comes into use at some point.
That is how a leader is born. When you open a book and commit to it from first page to last and you absorb all that it has to offer. Your brain is like a sponge, there is no end to learning.
Which is exactly the reason why great leaders were first great readers.
In order to be one, you must pick up some of their tried and tested habits. Even if you don’t think you are leader-material, every book will help you in every other walk of life. There’s no end but there is a beginning- just pick up that book and read on! So here are some leaders that inspire because they were inspired by some book they read at some point.
- Warren Buffet
The man reads like there’s no tomorrow. In the beginning of his career as an investor, he read 600-1000 pages a day. Buffet now allocates 80% of his day to reading. Rumour has it, he earns a buck every time he reads a word with the way his bank account is growing.
This man gave no excuse when it came to reading. He committed and he reaped the fruits of this long term relationship. Once it becomes a habit, you won’t let go because once you see the benefits it gives you in your common sense, work, conversational skills and vast spectrum of knowledge, why would anyone mind? You are the one who benefits most from this. The stage you start doesn’t matter, yes, younger the better but also, better late than never.
- Bill Gates
Of Course he’s on this list. It’s clear- if the man is an avid reader, he’s rich- he’s Bill Gates. Not only does he extensively read books, but he tests his knowledge as well. Reading is one thing, understanding and its application is another. He travels and his books travel with him. He is constantly learning and is simultaneously using this along the way. Gates reads at least 50 books in a year which explains his mental and material wealth.
- Elon Musk
The one and only Tesla and Twitter, uh I mean… X owner. While his recent business decisions have been questioned by all, the real question is whether he is too crazy or too smart for us to comprehend. Whatever it may be, the man is rich and he reads- so for us he’s doing it right.
Musk literally taught himself how to build rockets by reading books on them. While his initial objective for reading was extremely specific, he reaped its benefits and didn’t stop there. Once he started, he went in full throttle mode and ended up reshaping the automobile industry worldwide.
So to be a successful person, you need to have a successful reading habit in place. Like every other good habit, it is hard to form initially but once you give it even a tenth of your time, it’ll grow and create structure for itself- that’s the beauty of it.
This habit can be sown with just a few simple steps.
Ones including the obvious like:
- Go to a library: this is your place to get lost in the world of books. Pick any from the gazillion books out there and anything that catches your fancy. Don’t read it just out of peer pressure, if it appeals to you- go for it!
- Set a timer: Read for a certain amount of time- whether it be minutes or hours but to start somewhere you have to initially push yourself. Later with time, it will start to exceed and you won’t even realise it!
- Read before you sleep: Instead of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, gauge yourself into a self help book or a fictional one about alternate universes working in parallel. Especially if you are a night owl and your brain works overtime overnight- this is your time to bombard it with knowledge and let it absorb.
Any which ways you definitely will start having way more interesting dreams.
- Try all kinds: The best part of being in the Gen Z tech-heavy era, knowledge comes in all sorts of forms- be it books, e-books, podcasts, TedTalks or blogs, the possibilities are vast and you can pick from so many options. It’s seriously overflowing with knowledge at this point, it’s a shame to make no use of it.
Whether you’re a visual heavy learner or an orthodox book worm addicted to its old-timey smell- you can choose whatever suits you best!
So after reading this article, it seems like there really is no reason for you to not pick up and exploit the power of books. Especially when you have billionaires swearing by the credibility of books. So pick up that book and give it a try, who knows you might just become the one who makes it to the next level on your dinner table. With moms and teachers nagging, you know there’s a real good reason behind it.
Happy Reading!
