How Leaders Benefit Their Businesses by Reading

As the president of New Jersey-based Kemsco Construction and Equipment Company, Ralph Serpe oversees all aspects of the utility contracting company. When not working, Ralph Serpe enjoys staying physically active and is an avid reader of Forbes and the New York Times. Reading helps leaders grow in several ways.

Reading provides leaders with knowledge and ideas they can share with their team members to inspire interaction and discussion within the group. Sharing ideas and initiating debates within a group is a valuable way to use written content as a bonding strategy between the leader and his team.

Leaders who read across different fields enhance their creative sides and increase their ability to innovate and prosper in their businesses. Because it can augment intelligence, empathy, and sensitivity to social cues, reading also helps leaders work more efficiently with others by becoming more articulate, aware, and understanding. It even increases leaders’ personal effectiveness by promoting relaxation. Studies show that executives who read for just six minutes reduce their stress level by 68 percent.