Of Leading and Reading

Leaders are readers

This phrase has a a cliche feel. It's one of those phrases which contains a gold mine of truth and consequently is thrown around so much that it gets worn out. Today however, two sentences from a school book shed some light on why this phrase rings true:

"Whatever role others might play, it is Tutu who is the compass. He guides us in several ways, the most important of which is language."

These sentences from Country of My Skull highlight one of the most important tools leaders have at their disposal: words. You see, because Truth really is true, our words are either true or false. Either they accurately describe and depict reality, or they present a sham world.

If we are going to lead others effectively, we need to clearly, concisely, and correctly communicate about the world. There is no other option. You see, Evil has a way of painting up its own version of the world which looks deceptively accurate. It has had quite a bit of time to learn how to take what is false and make it look like reality. This means that if we are going to be effective in the Battle between Truth and Falsehood, we need to be skilled in the wielding of words. We need to be able to paint reality in such vivid and accurate colors that the sham world will be shown up for what it is.

One of the first steps in wielding words is to have the words to begin with. As a friend pointed out in a blog post on our company's website, the best way to gain these words is by reading. Interact with the thoughts left by others in their books leaves a fuller understanding on how the world really works. The more this understanding is developed, the better we will be able to verbally express our thoughts. 

Simply put, leaders read because it gives them the vocabulary with which to lead. It allows them to be able to clearly communicate how to go about living a good life.

In case you do not have a list of books you will be working on, here are a few which I have found to contain quite a bit of insight into the world: The Bible, The Lord of the Rings, and A Severe Mercy. They are all worth reading and rereading.

If you aren't in the middle of a book right now, please start one. According to Dr. Michael Bauman: "You either master language, or are mastered by those who do." Mastering or being mastered, the choice is up to you.

Above I listed several books which I have found to clearly communicate truth about the world. What books have you come across which did the same for you?