Why is reading for professional development important?
Successful people are readers, because “high achievers are keen on self-improvement.”
According to the leadership experts at The Boss Show, reading is essential for good leadership: The Boss Show Podcast, 5/29/13: “We Plead, If You Lead, Read”
Author John Coleman agrees, making the case for reading as an “essential component of leadership development” in his 2012 article for Harvard Business Review, “For Those Who Want to Lead, Read” and more recently, “Why Businesspeople Should Join Book Clubs.”
And according to the public relations experts at PR Daily, reading more will help improve your business writing: PR Daily, 6/17/13: “Improve your business blog by reading more.” They also note that “it’s important to read outside your field in order to encourage your mind to work in a different way.”
Finally, if you’re looking for a direct correlation between reading and getting ahead in your career, consider this statistic:
“According to the U.S. Labor Department, business people who read at least seven business books per year earn over 230 percent more than people who read just one book per year.” — Tuesday Morning Coaching by David Cottrell
Reading books directly related to your line of work — or on more general professional topics such as leadership, creativity, and change — is an inexpensive, simple way to take control of your own career development, and one that will have tangible results in the way you think, lead, write, and ultimately succeed.
Download our free companion handout to “Why Read?” here.
