You may not be able to have lunch with Michael Hyatt, Andy Andrews, Dave Ramsey, Jim Collins, or Peter Drucker (especially because he’s passed on). But you can spend as much time with them as you want by reading material written by them. 

I used to get frustrated with reading. I would read a lot of books, but I didn’t feel like I was retaining much of what I read. Michael Hyatt changed my outlook. In one of his podcasts, he mentioned that he doesn’t read with the intent of retaining much. He reads to spend time with smart people.

Without reading, our expertise will be limited to our direct experiences. We don’t experience life quickly, so our direct experience are limited. 

Of course, book learning is not as good as hands-on experience, but it may open the door to opportunities for hands-on experience and make us more effective when we get the opportunity.

When thinking about reading for leaders, we normally think about non-fiction, such as leadership principles, self-improvement, biographies, etc. While I primarily read non-fiction, I believe it’s important to also read fiction.

Fiction reading provides an escape. It helps you mentally disengage from your circumstances, which facilitates rest and recovery. When you come back to real life, you can face your challenges with new ideas and renewed energy and focus.

If you want to be a leader, you must be a reader!