Happy Tuesday!

Wisdom – what it is, how to define it and grow it - has been one of the most prevalent topics in my brain for several months. Sunday, it showed up again in multiple ways, most prominently as the key idea in the sermon at our church.

It seems like that is a good reason to write about it, which is what I am doing below. I hope you read more than just the opening paragraph. Because one thing is for sure, wisdom is rarely gained from skimming. 😊

I’m also writing about the changes in reading habits – based on some items in the news lately. The fact that you are reading these words tells me you care about reading – so I believe you will like these thoughts too.

Humbly, I am coming to believe that the underlying skill I am writing about in my new book, Flexible Leadership (available March 25 – learn more and get a sample chapter here) is wisdom. Join me for my webinar on February 13th at 3:30 pm ET, titled Navigating Uncertainty: Mastering Flexible Leadership in a Changing World. I believe it will help you deal with one of the most important challenges we face today – uncertainty – and help you learn more about the approach I’m talking about in the new book. Register here.

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Make it a great day and remember…

You are Remarkable!

Kevin 😊

Reading is Fundamental

Reading is Fundamental, Inc. is an organization that is dedicated to helping boost the literary of children. The phrase “reading is fundamental” is also a profound truth – reading is fundamental to so many success, satisfaction and engagement factors in life.

Children’s reading has been in the news lately as the “Nation’s Report Card,” the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress was released. It found that 67% of eighth graders scored at a basic or better reading level (the lowest since testing began in 1992) and only 60% of fourth graders hit that level (also, a near record low).

While much can and will be written about this on a national and policy level, that isn’t my expertise or purpose here.

I’m talking about you.

Here are some other statistics.

Gallup reported in 2021 that the average American reads 12.6 books/year; but averages can be deceiving. Pew Research shows that more than half of Americans read less than four books/year; and that 27% report not reading a single physical book all year.

You are reading these words because you are interested in your growth and development, likely as a leader. In working with leaders for over thirty years and in studying successful leaders for longer than that, my experience and observation confirm what has been found in studies: the most effective leaders are readers.

How many books do you read a year?

Chances are for many factors for your success, you would strive to be above the average, but are you meeting that standard for reading?

Quantity of books is one way to measure how much we are reading, and we could argue it isn’t necessarily the best one. For example, reading one book and actively applying what you learn from it is likely a more powerful contributor to your growth than reading many and trying nothing. And books aren’t the only reading that can add value for us, though books typically have the most vetted, thought out, and well-developed content.

I’m also not trying to guilt you but rather create a gentle nudge. You can’t change how much you have read in the past, but you can decide today how much you will read in the future.

If you are happy with the quantity of your reading, ask these two questions:

• Am I reading intentionally to build my skills, awareness and wisdom?

• What areas of content/knowledge might help me most as I pursue my future?

If you would like to read more, just start. Pick up something that is interesting to you and start reading. Read 15 minutes today, 15 minutes tomorrow, and make it your goal to keep up that streak.

If you do that, you will feel better about yourself and be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you will gain value from this habit.

Spend a few minutes today thinking about how you respond to failure, both personally and as a leader, and ask yourself if your response is the most helpful one.

Understanding and Defining Leadership Wisdom

If you think about the most effective leader you know, you can likely list many traits and characteristics that define them as effective. While wisdom might not be on your initial list, when you look at their overall effectiveness, chances are their leadership wisdom is what sets them apart from others.

Yet, how much of the leadership training you have received, or your organization provides, develops or even considers leadership wisdom as a goal?

Thanks for reading. Please reply at any time with questions or feedback for our team.

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