Rick Warren says if you want to be a great leader….you have to be a great reader.
Rick Warren, the pastor of Saddleback Church, wrote that advice in an op-ed for pastors.com.
He wrote, “Leaders are readers. Every leader is a reader. Not all readers are leaders but all leaders are readers.”
And he gives four reasons why reading is essential.
1. You must read for inspiration and motivation.
Harold Ockenga said, “Read to refill the wells of inspiration.” William Long, who wrote Christian Perfection and a number of Christian classics, wrote “Reading on wise and virtuous subjects is next to prayer, the best improvement of our hearts.
2. You must read to sharpen your skills.
Aldous Huxley said, “Every man who knows how to read has in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the way in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting.” Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
3. You must read to learn from others.
It’s wise to learn from experience but it’s even wiser to learn from the experience of others. There are no truly new ideas. Creativity is taking existing ideas and making them work in a new way.
And 4. You must read to stay current in a changing world.
If you want to be a growing leader of a healthy movement, keep reading. It’s the only way to stay out front. And above all, remember that the Bible is our number one priority in reading.