15 strategies for reading more as a leader

I would certainly encourage everyone to have a reading plan, both for reading through the Scriptures and for reading on various topics of interest.

For my job, I’ve been reading books about python and data storytelling.

For my spiritual growth, I’ve been reading books on pastoring, healthy churches, and prayer.

For my intellectual growth, I’ve continued reading through the Roman classics. I just finished Juvenal and am headed to Seneca next. I’ve also started reading a book on economics by Todd G. Buchholz.

What I will tell you is that you only have so much time during the day. You will need to prioritize what’s the best use of your time.

I suggest to everyone to utilize Audible as much as possible. I have a job that allows me to listen for several hours but even just commuting you can get through a lot. I try to always be reading one audible book, one digital book, and one hard copy (for those books that aren’t available in any other).

Having eliminated any number of “less than valuable” books from my own library, the thought comes to mind that it is more important to read well than to read much. No doubt that some people need to start reading at all, but even there, there is a lot of damage that is done by reading badly. The author’s encouragement to start with the Scriptures is a good start to dealing with this.

[Bert Perry]

Having eliminated any number of “less than valuable” books from my own library, the thought comes to mind that it is more important to read well than to read much. No doubt that some people need to start reading at all, but even there, there is a lot of damage that is done by reading badly. The author’s encouragement to start with the Scriptures is a good start to dealing with this.

Bert, your point about reading well instead of reading much is valid. I’ve thought about that over the past three years as I’ve read from over 30 Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman authors. For me, my journey through the Western literary canon has been more about exposure to authors and works that I’ve never read or never knew existed. I will say, the literary masters are masters for a reason. They write in beautiful, compelling, and memorable ways and deal with timeless themes and issues facing humanity. That is why so many subsequent authors imitate or incorporate the masters before them in their own writings. For example, when you read Shakespeare you also read Plutarch and Ovid.

It is particularly pleasurable to read a well-crafted metaphor or turn of phrase in Homer, for example, and realize that he wrote his work (or orally transmitted the story) during a much more primitive time than ours and yet the story, the phrase, the metaphor is still beautiful, compelling, and memorable.

So, yes, there have been moments when I’ve had to read, stop, and reread sections of these works because they are so wonderfully written. I usually will take note and journal about it. That being said, I’ve also enjoyed just getting exposure to these works for the first time. Currently, I have four more Roman authors to read before I get to Augustine: Martial, Seneca, Petronius, and Apuleius.

I think it was Trueman that said something like “Life is too short to read the second best book on something.” I think that’s true when it comes to non-fiction (although you will have to read many books on a particular subject to master it), but I read all sorts of fiction books. Some of the fiction is admittedly not well-written but it’s more of a diversion than anything.

I might add here that if I am throwing away a certain number of books, I am obviously not reading perfectly. That noted, there are any number of inferior books I’ve read from which I’ve gleaned valuable insights. For example, I read James MacDonald’s Authentic, and after comparing what he wrote to Scripture (Mac didn’t fare very well), the thought “Does Moody even bother with an editor for these guys?” came to mind.

I am not talking about arcane concepts of higher theology here; I am talking about things like this: “Given that MacDonald is clearly carrying about 50 to 100 extra pounds, how on earth can he claim he’s overcome his addiction to food? For that matter, what on earth does ‘addiction to food’ mean, since you can’t exactly stop eating without dying?”

In the same way, reading the Elsie Dinsmore series illustrates the hold legalism had on many Christians in the 19th century—and of course had again in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Fiction isn’t real, but it does have to be plausible to the target audience (except for science fiction and such), and hence it somewhat “tells on” what the readers think.

But read Tom’s list instead of my mistakes!

[Bert Perry]

But read Tom’s list instead of my mistakes!

Ha! Just in case you’re interested, this is the list of authors and works I’ve read during the past three years. I started “The Theocratic Age” with Homer in January 2019, and I’m finishing up the Roman authors on the list this year. I’ve pretty much followed the sequence listed with a few exceptions.

There are definitely certain authors / works I don’t think are worth my time to read again. For example, this past weekend I read Petronius’ Satyrica. Although it’s known as the first European novel, it’s not worth reading again.