Reading, Writing and Leadership

There are many reasons writers write, but why do readers read? A writer might write to persuade, but I doubt many readers choose a text in order to be persuaded. A reader might want to be informed, entertained, inspired, or emotionally connected to a story.

As I tackle to complete my first book, I have found that I am asking myself the same questions a leader would ask: What do I hope to accomplish? Who is my audience? Why am I doing this? It’s not very different than a leader deciding on vision, mission and values. That is, where are we going, how will we get there, and why should you follow me?

For me, I am writing to inform and inspire through a few stories I hope will make an emotional connection to a specific audience. The harder question to answer is why, and my best response is that I feel compelled.

Seth Godin writes in his new book, Linchpin, “The reason that art (writing, engaging, leading, all of it) is valuable is precisely why I can’t tell you how to do it. If there were a map, there’d be no art, because art is the act of navigating without a map.”

Like writing, there is no sure path for a leader. No map, flowchart, checklist, algorithm, theory or foolproof method can insure a leader’s success. Perhaps a leader’s true path is best illuminated by reading other leaders’ stories.