Why Successful People Read So Many Books
Elon Musk, in an interview, said that he learned how to build rockets by reading books. While talking with The New York Times, Bill Gates said that he read around 50 books a year. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, started his book club in 2015 to motivate himself and others to read a book every two weeks. Warren Buffett, with his voracious reading habit to learn every minuscule detail about the industry, became America’s most successful investor. Famous people like Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama, and Emma Watson find solace in books. What exactly is the reason for which successful people read so many books?
The answer to this question is amazingly simple as reading stimulates the learning process by making people think differently and out of the box. Reading brings a flair to every person’s language skills which helps them in honing their communication skills which in turn helps them in putting their message across to the concerned person effectively.
Ten Reasons as to why successful people read so many books.
They have increased focus.
Reading demands a lot of focus. If you are distracted, you will not be able to follow what is written in the book. Therefore, a reader develops great concentration skills which can be beneficial to them in the long run. Any job requires a lot of focus. A focused person makes his chances of committing a blunder or a silly mistake almost zero. Also, when one can concentrate fully on one thing, they can bring out the advantages and disadvantages of it effectively.
They set goals.
A reader is always in the habit of setting goals as to whether he can finish a book in what time or how many pages can be read in a day. Therefore, they know what is under their feet and what is not. This prepares them for the future as they can set goals and complete them. It will enhance their professionalism in the long run. The road to success is setting goals for every moment.
They spend time wisely.
It is said that if you will not value time, time will not value you. Therefore, you should never waste time. if successful people have only 20 minutes free with them, they prefer reading something during that time because eventually, it will expand their horizon of knowledge. Readers realize that if one wastes even five minutes of a day, it adds up to approximately 24 hours a day at the end of the year. Therefore, do not waste your time and read whatever you can.
They have perspective.
Literature is something which is written from different points of view, different perspectives, therefore, widening the perspective of the reader. When you read books of different backgrounds, different genres, different perspective, it changes the way you look at things and helps you in the formation of your perspective. It allows you to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes and take the correct decision.
They are reflective.
While reading a book, one must think about many things and issues to understand the meaning of the book. Therefore, it is generally noted that an avid reader’s reflective skills are much better than a non-reader. Reflecting on your thoughts is particularly important to be a good leader and a good human being. If you are unable to reflect on your thoughts, then you will never know the repercussions and the consequences of anything.
They have incredible writing and speaking skills.
It is a said fact that the most important and immediate change that anyone experiences are that there is a significant improvement in one’s language skills. The greatest orators of history have been avid readers. Not only do books frame your language, but they also show you the proper way of presenting your arguments. People like Demosthenes, Abraham Lincoln, and Nelson Mandela become such great leaders because of their passionate and well-spoken lectures which were the result of studying the great minds before them.
They have increased memory.
Readers are fully aware of the capabilities of the brain. They know that a human brain can hold immense information. Whatever they read, it is stored somewhere at the back of their mind and it can re-surface whenever need be. When one reads more, the mind gets trained in such a manner that there is always room for more knowledge. The mind never flows. Since the readers are always in a habit of reading more, thereby retaining more information, therefore, their brains have already been molded into retaining more and more information.
They stay fresh.
Great readers know the potential of their brain therefore they know that anything with great potential must be exercised. As a result, they perform many mind exercises which helps them in staying fresh for a longer period. Crossword puzzles and brain teasers act as a stimulant for the brain, therefore, refreshing it. A fresh mind is always the abode of fresher ideas.
They are educated and informed.
Having read so many books already and still being in the continuous process of learning makes the readers vast reserves of knowledge. They know the smallest of things and even about those things which are unknown to most other people. Even when one reads fictional novels, one takes some life lessons from that novel. Whenever one reads anything, or any knowledge acquired never goes wasted. It will help the person at one time or another. Being informative and educated goes a long way in being efficient because one can never have too much information.
They read to relax.
Reading as a relaxing activity is also very calming. Some people are in the habit of reading at least a few pages from a book before going to sleep. It acts as a calming therapy for them. This habit is also particularly good as while one is being calm by reading a book, simultaneously, the person is getting knowledge of some kind.
Tom Corley, in his book, Change Your Habits, Change Your Life writes about the 5-year-old study in which he interviewed a host of self-made millionaires about their daily habits. 88% of wealthy respondents reported that they spent at least 30 minutes every day on reading and self-education.
Amitabh Bachchan, a Delhi University alumnus, who is the son of the legendary writer and poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan says that books should be preserved for their magical quality of being a trove of knowledge. He also added that books also hold the key to the owner’s personality as books are the educators of the soul.
Aung San Suu Kyi, another alumnus of the DU and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, also admits that she is a voracious reader and reads regularly. She is the first woman to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, The Minister of the President’s Office and the Minister of Electric Power and Energy.
Some famous books read by successful people include You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero, Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard, Shogun by James Clavell, and Multipliers by Liz Wiseman and Greg McKeown.
Everyone should try inculcating reading as a habit. If you do not like reading, then you must have chosen the wrong book as there is a genre for everyone.
25 Books You Should Read, According to a Few of the…
Successful CEOs never stop learning. Personal growth is almost as important as hard work in building a winning business. Many entrepreneurs accomplish this through workshops, conferences, and even a few continuing education courses. However, for a busy entrepreneur, being away from the office for a few days can lead to other problems.
For that reason, it’s likely no surprise some of the top CEOs choose to boost their personal growth through reading a good book. Not only is it a great way to learn and grow, but it provides a way to relax after a long day.
Here are 25 books recommended by some of the top CEOs in the world to kick off your reading list.
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos lists Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day among his favorite books, citing its ability to teach readers about life and regret.
As Morgan Stanley’s chairman and CEO, James Gorman finds inspiration in this story of determined amateurs who accomplished great things.
When Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg kicked off his goal to read a new book every two weeks, he started with this book, a study in how leadership has evolved over the past 100 years.
Although he’s no longer with us, Steve Jobs remains an inspiration. Among his favorite books was Clayton M. Christensen’s book on changing technology, which he said deeply influenced him.
Apple’s Tim Cook reportedly recommends this book to new hires and hands out copies to colleagues.
Former Oracle CEO Larry Ellison felt particularly inspired by Vincent Cronin’s biography on Napoleon, feeling inspired by the way a man of modest means accomplished great things.
Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer threw her support behind this book, which instructs readers on mastering charisma to win people over.
Among the books that Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh recommends is Search Inside Yourself, a guide to finding inner joy.
He may be the world’s top investor, but Warren Buffett spends most of his time reading. Among the many books on the billionaire’s to-read list is this one, which he says shaped his investment philosophy.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates read Business Adventures at Buffett’s recommendation and says the 1969 collection of Wall Street tales remains his favorite business book to date.
LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner learned the true meaning of compassion through this book from the Dalai Lama.
Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman lists this Nicolo Machiavelli classic among his all-time favorites.
In his book Behind the Cloud, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff describes how he applied the concepts in The Art of War to beat competitors through the element of surprise.
When Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg released her book Lean In, Cisco’s John Chambers saw it as the perfect opportunity to encourage the promotion of women. He handed a copy to each of his senior managers.
In addition to her own book, Sandberg recommends this book, which centers around women’s roles and self-perception.
Former New York City mayor and business magnate Michael Bloomberg recommends How Will You Measure Your Life?—which explores the importance of mingling business and philosophy.
Another book on Jeff Bezos’s list is The Effective Executive, which helps with time management and decision making.
When Coca-Cola executive Muhtar Kent wants inspiration, he turns to this book, which bills itself as “a financial history of the world.”
HP CEO Meg Whitman makes this book required reading for HP’s hundreds of thousands of employees, believing its advice on setting and following strategy is crucial to success.
When she wants to inspire her staff, Lockheed Martin Corp’s Marillyn Hewson brings in The Tipping Point author Malcolm Gladwell.
Google’s Larry Page finds inspiration in stories about other successful leaders, including this one about AC current inventor Tesla.
Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey hands this book to new hires at Square and quotes from it often.
In addition to his business book recommendations, Bill Gates lists this classic as his all-time favorite, admiring its depiction of the intelligence of youth.
JP Morgan’s Jamie Dimon has a long recommended reading list, but this book is at the top of the list.
Add ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to the long list of people who believe Atlas Shrugged is among the most influential books of our time.
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Photo of man reading courtesy of Shutterstock.
Why Reading Business Books May Actually Help You Get More Money
Most people read business books because they want to learn how to get more money. But, there’s more to it than that.
Let’s have a deeper look at the connection between reading habits and business success.
Here’s a breakdown of what we cover:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
One habit that successful CEOs and founders have in common?
They read. A LOT.
According to Sales & Marketing Executives International, those who read at least 7 business books per year earn more money.
In fact, they earn 2.3 times more than people who only read one book per year.
Reading is one of the major habits successful people have in common. You may notice that they have bookshelves filled with books that have inspired them. They do this to give credit to the books that taught them the secrets of their success.
Research by Tom Corley, author of “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals”, found that 85% of ‘rich people’ (i) read two or more education, career-related, or self-improvement books per month. That’s compared to only 15% of ‘poor people’ (ii).
Corley also found that 88% of rich people devoted 30 minutes or more each day to self-improvement reading.
When Warren Buffet was asked about the secret to his success,(iii) he said, “Read 500 pages every day.” He pointed to his stack of books and explained that knowledge is accumulated over time, “it builds up, like compound interest.”
Photo Credit: USA International Trade Administration
A study of 1,200 wealthy people (iv) found that they ALL had reading in common as a pastime.
Bill Gates has said that he reads 50 books per year. Warren Buffet says he still devotes about 80% of his day to reading. Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur, and Shark Tank investor reads for more than 3 hours per day.(v) When Elon Musk was asked how he learned how to build rockets he answered, “I read books.”(vi)
Tony Robbins says that a speed-reading course was his secret to reading 700 books in 7 years.(vii) They were all books on physiology, psychology, and anything else that could “make a difference in life.”
Infographic by Natfluence®
How can reading books teach you how to get more money?
The relationship between reading business books and earning more money is not a mathematical formula.
The number of business books that you read will not increase your earning potential one for one.
Rather, there is a strong positive “correlation” between reading business books and respective business success. The correlation has to do with 1. healthy reading habits (what you read, how you process that information, and how you apply your learned knowledge); and 2. important side benefits of those habits (e.g., impact on mindset, business acumen, and subsequent actions).
The following are examples of why reading business books can better position you to earn more income and achieve heightened business success: