Good leaders are good readers

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So, you think you can be an effective leader without also constantly studying and learning? It’s so easy in a leadership position to find excuses for not being a reader:

  • Too busy to read
  • I read enough in college to last a lifetime
  • There is nothing else I need to know to do my job effectively
  • People should be learning from me, rather than me learning from others
  • I’m being paid to lead, not to read
  • Reading to study from others is a sign of weakness and incompetence
  • I don’t have the attention span to read an entire book

When I was in the corporate world in senior management, I never read anything relating to management or business. I led from a very instinctual style using my motivational and people skills to get things done. However, as a pastor I truly believe that there is no way I could be an effective leader without being a good reader. Christian ministry is not the same environment as the secular workplace. Your leadership methods must transcend the ordinary!

But, what should church leaders read? Here are some recommendations for types of reading that will help you to grow as a good leader in Christian ministry:

  • Read the Bible Daily- Without question, we must first read and know the Word of God in order to lead God’s people. Find a consistent time every day to devote to the study of God’s Word. Find a translation that helps you get the most you can out of this personal time with God.
  • Read a few books on Christian leadership each year- One of the things that we are seeing is a decline in church attendance. The old ways aren’t connecting with as many people today. Even if your ministry is moving along positively at the moment, always know that things change. By reading how other leaders are doing things, it gives you a fresh perspective and a source for new ideas.
  • Read the news often- We are called to share the good news of Christ to the world so we need to know what is going on outside of the church. How is the economy affecting people in our communities? What tragic events have occurred that resulted in real needs of others? What people are out there being examples of Christ that we can use to encourage our membership?
  • Read blogs- With technology being so easily accessible to us, there is no excuse not to read what other leaders are posting on blogs. Blogs tend to be more personal with leaders being much more transparent when writing than they would be in a book. No matter where you are at in your ministry, there is always someone experiencing a similar situation. Through reading blogs I get great new ideas, words of encouragement, opportunities to comment and share with others, and it gives me a sense of being in a brotherhood with others—I’m not in it alone. Find an RSS reader and update blogs daily. Read what interests you; skip what doesn’t.

The key to growing and becoming an even better leader is directly related to your efforts to read the work of others and the Word of God on a consistent basis. Don’t be fooled into thinking you know it all already! Remember what is written in James 4:6: “…God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”