Why "Leaders are Readers"
“Leaders are readers” means exceptional leaders are lifelong learners who consistently consume books, articles, and research to expand their knowledge and perspective. This isn’t casual browsing – it’s intentional, strategic learning that directly impacts decision-making.
Research suggests that top performing CEOs read an average of 50-60 books per year – five times more than the average American. Warren Buffett will famously spend up to 80% of his day reading (he reads roughly 500 pages per day), crediting much of his investment success to this habit.
Reading builds three critical leadership capabilities: pattern recognition (seeing connections others miss), cognitive flexibility (adapting thinking to new situations), and expanded mental models (more frameworks for problem-solving). Leaders who read widely can draw insights from diverse fields, making them more innovative and strategic.
Without continuous learning, leaders become stagnant — even obsolete. In today’s rapidly changing world, yesterday’s knowledge isn’t enough for tomorrow’s challenges.
Case Study: Sara Blakely
Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, transformed a $5,000 investment into a billion-dollar empire largely through her commitment to continuous learning through reading. With no business background, she devoured books on entrepreneurship, sales, and psychology to build her knowledge from scratch.
Mulally created a culture of radical accountability. He instituted weekly “Business Plan Review”meetings where leaders had to honestly report problems using red, yellow, and green status indicators. Initially, no one admitted problems. Then Mark Fields courageously reported his Edge launch was “red”- behind schedule and over budget.
Blakely credits reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill as foundational to her mindset, but her broader reading habit proved crucial during early challenges. When department stores initially rejected her product, she turned to sales psychology books that taught her how to reframe objections and build relationships with buyers.
Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, transformed a $5,000 investment into a billion-dollar empire largely through her commitment to continuous learning through reading. With no business background, she devoured books on entrepreneurship, sales, and psychology to build her knowledge from scratch.
Mulally created a culture of radical accountability. He instituted weekly “Business Plan Review”meetings where leaders had to honestly report problems using red, yellow, and green status indicators. Initially, no one admitted problems. Then Mark Fields courageously reported his Edge launch was “red”- behind schedule and over budget.
Blakely credits reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill as foundational to her mindset, but her broader reading habit proved crucial during early challenges. When department stores initially rejected her product, she turned to sales psychology books that taught her how to reframe objections and build relationships with buyers.
Her reading on consumer behavior helped her understand that women wanted solutions, not just products. Books on branding and marketing informed her decision to focus on empowerment messaging rather than traditional fashion advertising, differentiating Spanx in a crowded market.
Most importantly, her study of business biographies taught her that failure was part of the journey. This reading-informed resilience helped her persist through two years of rejections before landing her first major retail partnership with Neiman Marcus.
Blakely’s reading habit enabled her to build a global brand despite having no formal business training, proving that committed learners can compete with – and often outperform – those with traditional credentials.
So, Now What?
This upcoming week, commit to reading 30 minutes daily. Choose books outside your expertise – if you’re in tech, read psychology; if you’re in finance, read history. Keep a learning journal to capture insights and connections.
Set a goal: one book per month minimum. And, you can join or create a leadership book club. Most importantly, apply what you learn immediately – reading without application is just entertainment.
Remember: in the information age, your competitive advantage isn’t what you know today – it’s how quickly you can learn for tomorrow. That’s becoming your best!
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
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