What writings do you hold as valuable for your leadership? Maybe it is a book by Dale Carnegie, or John Maxwell, or Simon Sinek. Perhaps a reference on investing, or real estate, or wealth-building. Or for you it might be the news that is your go-to reference—The Wall Street Journal, or Barron’s, or the Harvard Business Review. Generally you’ll find that those in key leadership roles have something in common—they read, regularly, even voraciously.
A secret of leadership is to read more. A recent study found that the average college graduate reads about one book a year. What about the average CEO? They’ll read 60 books a year. Reading gives the leader tremendous advantages beyond simple knowledge, such as perspective, insight and understanding.[1] Studies show that reading strengthens your brain, engaging the thought center. “A 2013 study by Emory University measured readers MRI scans as they read a book. They found that the deeper readers went into the story, the more areas of their brain activated. Even more surprisingly, this activity stayed elevated for several days after participants finished the book. The more you read, the stronger these complex networks of activity become.”[2]
In the digital era, you might think you are reading constantly—emails, social media posts, texts and other short messages. Yet you are only engaging online an average of 55 seconds at a time—not long enough to see the benefits of deeply engaging in a book or long-form article. “American writer and illustrator Tomie dePaola says, ‘Reading is important because if you can read, you can learn anything about everything and everything about anything.’ A YouTube video can help you understand the topic, but short videos don’t allow you to swim into the vast depths of the subject matter.” Read the classics. Read the news. Read for fun. Read for leadership development. And…
Read the Bible. A Christ-centered man will find no better volume on leadership than the Bible. There are specific books of the Bible that give excellent and practical notes to leaders, such as the Proverbs in the Old Testament, and 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus in the New Testament. Historical books in the Bible give contact and background to God’s mission and purpose for man. The Gospels give us understanding of God’s redemptive plan, and Jesus Himself gives us a tremendous example in leadership.
When you read the Bible, you gain understanding from God and of God. The Bible gives insight for life’s purpose and your role in God’s creation. It helps you know how to live, from the One who breathed life into you. There is no other book like it, and the better you know the Bible, the more readily you’ll be able to handle the challenges you’ll face throughout life and leadership. But take it a step further…
Commit the Bible to memory. If you’ve ever gone to a Vacation Bible School or other church activity for kids, you may have had the challenge to memorize a Bible verse or two. We seldom see this practice for adults, but the value to a leader of knowing the Bible from memory is tremendous. Psalm 119:11 reminds us, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” The message in this verse is that knowing the Word of God helps us to live a life that is pleasing to God, and avoid those things which are not pleasing to God.
Some years ago, I was in a church service, and the preacher did a dramatic quotation of an entire book of the Bible from memory. It was a commanding performance, and by the end of 12 chapters, the entire congregation was on its feet. He recited verses for 20 minutes, and as I listened it became apparent that he had invested many hours in the endeavor. When he concluded the congregation applauded loudly. He then said, “This is not that big a deal. Any one of you could memorize this.”
I was among many in the congregation who thought, “No way, I could never do that.” Sensing this response, he said, “What if I were to offer you $1,000 for every Bible verse you memorized? Could you do it then? What value does the Scripture hold for you?” It was a startling statement, because it was true. If I really valued the Bible, then of course I could memorize passages of Scripture. The real question was, what value did the Bible really hold for me in life and leadership?
The treasure of Scripture. The average cost of a four-year college degree from an in-state public school is $108,584.[3] An executive leadership course online will set you back about $3,500.[4] What about the most valuable relationships in your life—your parents, a key friend, a mentor or trusted advisor? When you think about wisdom and knowledge that you have gained, what has brought you the most value, and could you quantify it in some way?
Consider that Scripture is a true treasure. There are about 31,100 verses of Scipture in the Bible—if you took the challenge to value each of those at $1,000 for your life and leadership, then it really is a treasure worth millions of dollars for you. The Apostle Paul succinctly explains in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, that “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”
The Bible is a key means by which God chooses to reveal Himself to us. Presbyterian minister James W. Alexander wrote, “The study of God’s Word for the purpose of discovering God’s will is the secret discipline which has formed the greatest characters.” Not only does the Bible teach us important truths and provide direction for leadership and living, but it is an active means by which to impart knowledge and motivation to others. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing fir which I sent it.”
“God sent His Word to accomplish His perfect will for our lives in His own time. There are endless promises given to us in the Bible. We serve a God who has immeasurable mercy, endless grace and comfort, who knows and hears our pain, and has a perfect plan to bless the lives of his children. Whatever God says, we know that His Word is priceless, and He will do what He says.”[5]
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dan-owolabi_how-many-books-do-great-leaders-read-activity-7107380354264567808-QsPx/
[2] https://kwikbrain.medium.com/10-brain-reasons-to-make-reading-a-habit-aa628d4b498c
[3] https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college
[4] https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/leadership-and-strategic-management/executive-leadership
[5] https://blog.glcc.edu/blog/the-value-of-studying-the-bible
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A Christ-centered man looks for instruction in how to live, lead, interact and influence. The Bible contains practical instruction for life, family and business. But what about the prophecy in the Bible?