The column "Leadership Whiteboard" provides a short visual leadership coaching moment. It introduces and explains a new sketch in each issue, provides leadership coaching for further development, and shares a leadership quote and recommended book.

Leaders = Readers

President Harry Truman described the developmental effect of reading when he said, “Readers of good books, particularly books of biography and history, are preparing themselves for leadership. Not all readers become leaders, but all leaders must be readers.” In 2018, I wrote in this column how all leaders must be learners. One way to grow insight and innovation comes from diving deeper into books.

Recently, I heard about a Free Will Baptist ministry leader who started a reading group that will tackle five books a year and discuss them. This group selects books from the following categories to be well rounded: one theology, one biography/history, one ministry skill, one leadership, and one open ended.

Some leaders belong to Christian book clubs. The clubs automatically send a new book release every month or every other month at a 20% discount with return privileges if the book does not appeal to you. With enough interest, Randall House could offer such a program, and titles would not need to be limited to only Randall House releases. We could offer a balanced reading plan. Please let me know if this would interest you.

Books provide opportunities to be mentored by authors you might not normally meet. Imagine eight-14 hours with a leadership guru, theologian, historian, effective pastor, or another expert, all for about $18. Such mentoring provides lessons without student debt. Books offer different perspectives, share ideas, improve your vocabulary and grammar, exercise your mind, increase your overall knowledge, and provide great stories to illustrate points when you communicate. Whatever degree you attained, or if you have never stepped foot on a campus, reading will keep you fresh.

What should you read? First and foremost, people dislike reading because they rarely read what interests them. Start there. Read topics, eras, or people you find fascinating. I hated reading until I was about 28 and then discovered military fiction with covert operatives. From there, I started consuming legal fiction, followed by forensic science.

I hate what I missed in the earlier years of my life, but I have more than made up for it since. You, too, can fall in love with reading. Do you like history? If so, what part? Civil War? Middle ages? Maybe significant world figures? Grab a book about Abraham Lincoln, William Wilberforce, Harriet Tubman, Laverne Miley, Laura Belle Barnard, Winston Churchill, or others to learn more about their lives. Or tackle light reads like fiction, hobby interests, or self-improvement. What is your reading plan?

Leaders are readers!

About the Columnist: Ron Hunter Jr., Ph.D., is CEO of Randall House Publications.