Jan 10

Read Less and Do More

I received a monthly book offer for summaries of 32 business books. Each year they promise overviews of 24 of the latest titles plus eight classics. That’s 32 book summaries for the year. They encourage me to listen to them all before deciding what book to buy.

There is some wisdom in their offer. They want me to be an educated book buyer. But the thing is, I already have enough to read. I have unread management classics on my shelf right now. Why do I need the latest and greatest?

One answer might be that the lastest is fashionable and to be relevant in current conversations I have to know what it says. Maybe. To be relevant I need to contribute something that helps the company execute better. That doesn’t have to come from today’s best seller.

Everything we know about learning and expertise development says repetition is one of the most critical behaviors. Pete Samprass didn’t need the latest and greatest ideas on hitting a forehand with consistent accuracy and swiftness. He developed a method that fit his body and playing style. Then he practiced it relentlessly, modifying it as needed to the current situation. He didn’t need a new approach for every new situation. And, because he kept it simple and practiced like someone determined to be the best, he achieved consistently high results.

Some new books are instant classics. Most aren’t. The latest fashionable books won’t make us experts. Practice will. For example, research shows that to followers, listening is one of the most supportive leadership behaviors. How many books do you need to learn the fundamentals of listening? One should do. What you need then is practice. An every day, moment to moment deliberate use of the skill.

Rather than try to keep up with the 24 fashionable books, I want the eight classics. But, what I really want is to become a master of the fundamentals. So, I think it makes more sense to find two or three books that rock your world and cover the essentials of your craft and read them three or four times each. Then commit to doing what they teach. Concepts won’t make us good. Only practice can do that.

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