People often ask me if there is any surefire shortcut to getting promoted. My answer is that there is only one question that I ask every single person I interview, no matter what the job or pay: “What are you reading?”
Why do I place so much importance on reading? Because it’s the simplest way to identify a person who is constantly working to improve themselves.
Reading a book sounds like a simple prescription for getting a promotion, but it’s really about much more than that. Every time you read (for business or pleasure), your intelligence grows. Your vocabulary increases, your knowledge of the world expands and your creative mind is stimulated. If you’re reading a little bit every day, your capacity to deliver value as an employee (and a human being) is constantly growing. It’s only a matter of time until that raise or promotion comes your way!
So why aren’t more people reading? I wish I knew the answer! My best guess is that people just don’t know where to start. It’s a misconception that you have to read a book about your line of work to add value as an employee. In fact, you don’t even need to read about business at all. If you’re not used to reading, it’s important to start with something you’re interested in, even if that means beginning with fiction. Even fictional books, which can be great entertainment, will be full of interesting facts and perspectives that are new to you. I read an average of two books a week and I’ve never read a single one (even one I’ve hated) where I didn’t learn anything.
As your comfort with reading grows, you should expand into genres beyond fiction. There are plenty of real world topics that could interest you: science, history or even pop culture. It won’t be long before you start to realize how many benefits your new habit has – you’ll be more able to converse with superiors on a variety of topics, have more to contribute to meetings and projects, you’ll probably even be more interesting around the dinner table or on a date!
I’m not suggesting that you should immediately commit to reading for hours a day. Like anything new, you will need to build up your tolerance. In the grand scheme of things, the time you put in reading will pay huge dividends. Remember, there is no better place you can invest your time than in your own personal growth.
If you’d like a quick jumpstart on some reading material, feel free to check out the selections in the Recommended Reading section in the sidebar. These books are more business-related, but they are loaded with useful information that will undoubtedly spark your interest.
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