“Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.”
– James Russell Lowell, 19th century American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat
“All leaders, whether contrarian or otherwise, are heavily influenced by what they read. Indeed, in many cases leaders are directed and inspired as much by their readings as they are by their closest advisors. Thus the choices a leader makes as to what to read can be crucial in the long run.”
– Steven B. Sample, leadership author and past president of the University of Southern California (USC)
“Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study”
– One of The Six Mistakes of Man listed by Cicero the ancient Roman philosopher, orator, and politician
Learning is experienced as a personal transformation. A person does not gather learnings as possessions but rather becomes a new person … To learn is not to have, it is to be.
– Gib Akin, University of Virginia professor after interviewing 60 managers and finding their learning experiences “surprisingly congruous”
“He that loves reading, has everything within his reach. He has but to desire, and he may possess himself of every species of wisdom to judge and power to perform.”
– William Godwin, English journalist, political philosopher, and novelist
“I’m a voracious reader. Twenty percent of what I read are business books. I read all the journals. I read biographies, novels … leadership is an intensive journey into yourself.
– Jeffery Immelt, chairman and CEO, General Electric
“Reading all the good books is like a conversation with the finest men of past centuries.”
– René Descartes, French philosopher, mathematician, and writer
“There are three kinds of people: The ones that learn by reading, the few who learn by observation, the rest who have to pee on the electric fence.”
– Will Rogers, American cowboy, humorist, actor, and social commentator
For over three decades, Jim Clemmer’s keynote presentations, workshops, management team retreats, seven bestselling books, articles, and blog have helped hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. The Clemmer Group is the Canadian strategic partner of Zenger Folkman, an award-winning firm best known for its unique evidence-driven, strengths-based system for developing extraordinary leaders and demonstrating the performance impact they have on organizations.
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