I start each new year with a question: What book are you reading now? Charlie Rose in his nightly program of interviews sometimes poses a similar question to his famous guests, most of whom are national or international leaders in their professions. They always seem to have a book they are reading about which they have opinions, insights, comments. So here I repost my annual blog with a few modifications.
Lifelong learning is essential to grow as a leader. A habit of reading books is important to that growth. Wayne Hulbert made that argument several years ago in his blog. He suggested that you start with books from your area of business and branch out from there. To quote Hulbert, “Let a book be your ship as you sail that wonderful journey to the land of lifelong learning.”
But how do you nurture book reading in those who do not enjoy reading. There is some evidence that younger people read more if you count the Internet but read less if you count book reading. The Harry Potter series engaged many young minds. How will that translate into other books as they age?
For those of us in education, we lead by example. We share our stories, the role books have played in our lives. As parents, we read to our children. I had an aunt who read to me in my very early formative years. She nurtured my love of books.
What role do books play in your life? In your learning? My guess is that for many, we just don’t have enough time. Is reading books a habit for you? If not, is reading books something you would want to be a habit?
My favorite books read in 2014? The Martian by Andy Weir was just a fun read from beginning to end. Highly recommend for sci fi fans. I also enjoyed Card's Ender's Game (Book 1) and Crichton's Sphere. For business books, I have mostly been reading again favorite classics, works by Abraham Maslow, Mary Follett, Peter Drucker, and Douglas McGregor.
Here are books on my reading list as we begin 2015:
Napoleon by Andrew Roberts
David by David Wolpe
Indonesia Etc by Elizabeth Pisani
Business Adventures by John Brooks
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
The Beatles Lyrics by Hunter Davies
Beyond the First Draft by John Casey
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them”, Mark Twain.
Or as the comedian Groucho Marx said, “Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”
What are you reading?
_________________________________________
Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnballardphd
On Twitter: @johnballardphd
Decoding the Workplace: 50 Keys to Understanding People in Organizations, coming in May,
http://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=A4781C
Lifelong learning is essential to grow as a leader. A habit of reading books is important to that growth. Wayne Hulbert made that argument several years ago in his blog. He suggested that you start with books from your area of business and branch out from there. To quote Hulbert, “Let a book be your ship as you sail that wonderful journey to the land of lifelong learning.”
But how do you nurture book reading in those who do not enjoy reading. There is some evidence that younger people read more if you count the Internet but read less if you count book reading. The Harry Potter series engaged many young minds. How will that translate into other books as they age?
For those of us in education, we lead by example. We share our stories, the role books have played in our lives. As parents, we read to our children. I had an aunt who read to me in my very early formative years. She nurtured my love of books.
What role do books play in your life? In your learning? My guess is that for many, we just don’t have enough time. Is reading books a habit for you? If not, is reading books something you would want to be a habit?
My favorite books read in 2014? The Martian by Andy Weir was just a fun read from beginning to end. Highly recommend for sci fi fans. I also enjoyed Card's Ender's Game (Book 1) and Crichton's Sphere. For business books, I have mostly been reading again favorite classics, works by Abraham Maslow, Mary Follett, Peter Drucker, and Douglas McGregor.
Here are books on my reading list as we begin 2015:
Napoleon by Andrew Roberts
David by David Wolpe
Indonesia Etc by Elizabeth Pisani
Business Adventures by John Brooks
Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds
The Beatles Lyrics by Hunter Davies
Beyond the First Draft by John Casey
“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them”, Mark Twain.
Or as the comedian Groucho Marx said, “Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.”
What are you reading?
_________________________________________
Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnballardphd
On Twitter: @johnballardphd
Decoding the Workplace: 50 Keys to Understanding People in Organizations, coming in May,
http://www.abc-clio.com/Praeger/product.aspx?pc=A4781C
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