Pollsters say reading is in decline. As an author and former publishing executive, the statistics make me wince. But I’m optimistic for another reason. Why? A readership crisis is really a leadership crisis. And for people who know how to respond, crisis is just another way of saying opportunity.
Archive for Leaders
3 Forces That Shape Character
How Media, Habits, and People Hold us Back or Drive us Forward
Charisma may be useful in attracting a following, but it is largely useless when it comes to achieving a long-term, positive impact on the people and organizations we lead. For this, we need character. In helping people build their platforms, I frequently meet people whose public image is better developed than their personal character. They […]
4 Steps to Developing a Diverse Team
Why You Need Different Perspectives
Growing up, I was surrounded by a lot of people who looked like me. My childhood was spent Circleville, Ohio, which is in the middle of the country. My family was lower-middle class. We went to a church that wasn’t exactly cutting edge. Even when I went off to college, I was exposed to ideas […]
Why Every Leader Needs Friends
And Why Most Have Fewer Than They Think
As leaders, we all want to be competent and successful. The problem is that our quest for success can be demanding. It can feel lonely at the top. But as a leader, you can’t afford to be isolated. You deserve a rich, full life—including a social life. Every leader can thrive by cultivating friendships, protecting […]
George Washington Shows Us How Leaders Are Readers
5 Lessons From America’s First Bookworm-in-Chief
Most Americans think of George Washington as a great leader and the father of our country, but I bet few of us think of overdue library books. When Washington was president, he borrowed two books from a New York library and forgot to return them. According to a humorous but true story the fines for […]
A Handy Index to All My Evernote Posts
Yesterday, someone asked me if I had a list of all my blog posts I’d written on this topic. So I decided to pull together this list of all my posts, to make it easier for those who want to get up-to-speed fast.