In the early 2000’s, I found myself tasked to lead the youth ministry of a small church.
It was my first leadership assignment and being desperate not to make a fool out of myself, I decided to read John Maxwell’s 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player.
I have never had a bookless hand ever since.
Books, I discovered that day, contains wealth of insights that allow me to accomplish my goals quickly by standing on the shoulders of those who went before me.
Simply put, it’s a shortcut.
Let me digress a bit and allow me to vent a little.
Up until now I still do not understand why leaders (and those who aspire to be one) do not read on a regular basis.
In my management classes, I ask a show of hands who has read at least one leadership book the past month.
It would be the day hell freezes over if I get at least 40% of hands raised.
When I probe deeper, the response I get from these people managers is one too common:
I’m too busy.
To which I say: Bullshittake.
It simply shows we’re too arrogant, we don’t see the need to learn and keep getting better or we’re too lazy to take on the mantle of leadership seriously.
Either way, that’s a lame excuse (which obviously make my blood boil since leaders don’t make excuses).
You and I as leaders are entrusted with the enterprise’s most precious resource – people.
We owe it to them to be led well. And one of the best way to grow, improve and lead well is through reading the books written by the best minds on the subject.
If you’re too busy to read, grow and learn, then you’re just too busy. Better give up your leadership badge and give way to someone who is not.
So going back to the point, over the years, it has become my habit to learn from and stand on the shoulders of giants: from CEOs Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch and Andy Grove to advisers of CEOs Noel Tichy, Ram Charan, Tom Peters and Gary Hamel.
Fifteen years and a satisfying career later, I started my consulting firm.
True to form, I’m reading How Clients Buy and it’s helping me tons in the way I operate the business.
I’m once again taking The Shortcut, tapping into the wisdom of two successful consultants.
The wisdom that took them years to gain require only a two-hour investment on my part.
“While it is wise to learn from experience”, Les Giblin observed, “it is wiser to learn from the experience of others.”
Florentino Hernando is the Managing Director of FAHernando Consulting, a managment consulting firm with the mission to build great companies.
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