The power of reading good books cannot be ignored. Whether you read for your enjoyment or personal development, the books you read will shape and change you.
Do you know what books can do for you? How can books change your life?
I can’t list everything a book can do for you, but I can focus on four areas in which reading can change your life. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to grow from reading.
4 Things Reading Can Do For You
Increase Empathy:
Do you want to be able to relate better to people? Do you want to understand how they think? Maybe even why they feel the way they do?
Reading great books can do that for you.
Research shows that reading, especially fiction, can help you become more empathetic. As leaders, we need empathy to connect with our people. By understanding those we lead and interact with, we can see things from other perspectives.
What could being more empathetic do for you?
Increase Skills:
One of the main reasons I read good books is to increase my skills. I look for great non-fiction books to read about topics I want to learn about.
If I want to learn how to increase my emotional IQ, I can pick up multiple books on the topic. Each author shares their own experiences and research to help their readers become better at what they do.
Books like 48 Days To The Work You Love by Dan Miller, QBQ! by John Miller, and What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles have helped me get to know myself better and develop the skills needed in a diverse job market.
The books you read today will help you acquire the skills you need tomorrow.
Connect You With Others:
Books also help you connect with others. Think about the last good book you read. You probably shared it with those around you or at least thought about it.
I know leaders who, every time they read a great book, begin sharing it with their team. They understand the power of a book to change a life.
However, by sharing the book, they’re also connecting more with their team. They’re showing their team that they care for them and are even willing to help them grow!
Or maybe you’ve seen book clubs for various kinds of books. There are book clubs that talk about the latest romance novels to the latest business books.
Don’t be afraid to share what you’re reading with those around you. The more you do, the more you’ll connect with others.
Spark New Ideas:
Great books also spark great ideas. When you begin to digest what you’ve read, you’re able to see new connections between areas of your life and business.
The more you read, the more new ideas you’ll consume. The more new ideas you consume, the more you’ll think about new ways of doing things.
When you read, you begin to spark new ideas in your mind that wouldn’t be possible because you didn’t have the information previously. Read books, spark new ideas.
