My student pulled me aside during the break and asked me “What are leaders reading today?” Without giving me a chance to respond, he followed it quickly by asking a second question, “What should I be reading to improve my communication as a leader?” The question he had for me is one I think about often.

The question leads me to several sources for finding the next book I’m going to consume. Over the years, I’ve found that I can go to 4 main sources to find a good book to read. Much of what I read influences what I write about and how I teach in my workshops. So I will also let you know what my readers (you guys!) are reading on my site.

“ The book you don’t read won’t help. —JIM ROHN

The 4 Sources I use to Find Books

I’m open to suggestions for good reading from any source, but as I reflect upon what I truly end up reading, my list comes from 4 main sources.

The Students in my Workshops

What a great resource my students are when it comes to this! Think about it… most of my students come to the workshop eager to learn (of course, there are a few who are just prisoners told to be there!). What a great source for additional reference materials. They are leadership communication sponges always looking for more content to consume. I get to have conversations with thousands of students every year. I’ve found some great referrals from my students.

Colleagues and Other Leadership Blogs

Just being in the industry I’m in, I get to connect to a lot of leadership speakers, teachers and authors. Besides their own writing, they’re always diving into books written by other thought leaders. Then there are other blog sites I like to follow or check in with occasionally.

Most leadership speakers devote a blog post or two each year to list their favorite reads from the year. Many of these blog sites conduct interviews with leadership authors and experts too. I love that because you can get a preview of the author before reading their book. Two leaders I follow regularly are Michael Hyatt and Skip Prichard. Skip even has a page on his website dedicated to leaders he follows.

Amazon

Yes, I know… you could say Amazon recommendations are just part of a marketing algorithm designed to produce recommendations I’m most likely to purchase… but I’ve found their algorithm is pretty good with me!  I love to read the reader reviews before I purchase and if I’ve seen the book on one of the leadership blogs I follow or if I heard about it from a student, I know I’ll enjoy it!

Goodreads.com

I don’t use this site as much as I used to, but it’s a great way to connect with other readers and follow what they’re reading. I’ve come across several books my friends and colleagues were reading. These were books I would’ve never found without seeing their current read list on Goodreads.

“ We lose ourselves in books. We find ourselves there too. —ANONYMOUS

If you’re like me, your time is precious and you don’t want to waste your time on something you end up regretting. The beauty of social media these days is that we can follow others and get a peek into their recommendations. If you use a blend of these methods above to find your next read, or video blog (vlog), or blog to read, you can cut down on the wasted time and money.

What I promise to you… at the end of any of my blog posts I’ll provide you with links to books or writers I’ve mentioned in a blog post. If you ever find something you’ve liked in my blog post, you can look at the bottom of the post for links to the sources.

What are your sources for finding your next great read?

Send me a email or leave a comment below

Take care and I’ll see you all next week!

Best,
Russ

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Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.