Want to know what ultra-successful people have in common? They read a lot. In fact, the average CEO reads 60 books a year. Why? Because they know that the key to success is constant learning.
Business owners and professionals need to be continually open to new ideas and ways of thinking to drive growth and success in their endeavours.
It is important for all of us to continue to learn new things. Regardless if you finished your last formal learning one or twenty years ago, never think of your learning journey is complete.
Ongoing learning has proven benefits for brain function. It improves focus, confidence, and self-esteem. For business owners and professionals, it can help you remain passionate and energised to remain at the top of your game.
If you’re not a big reader, then think outside the box. There are a variety of ways to keep learning without signing up for the MBA that will have a significant impact on your family and down time. The secret of constant learning is that it is more of a mindset than a list of completed courses.
The good news is that any type of learning is beneficial, whether it’s specific to your business or industry or something completely unrelated that you have a passion or interest in. By trying something new you are encouraging your mind to be open to diverse ways of thinking and experiences.
So, pursue those hobbies or interests that you’ve always wanted to do but never quite got there – the dance, art, music, foreign language or photography class! This will help keep your mind sharp and add to your conversation skills for networking.
You can also think outside the box with how to develop new skills. You can learn by giving back and volunteering. Join a non-profit or charity to use your current skills or work on new skillsets.
Of course, there is the more traditional avenue for learning including seminars, workshops and tertiary courses. They can be very beneficial for specific learning in your industry or field. Don’t rule these out but make sure you look for other ways to learn as well.
Our biggest advice is start a reading routine. Those CEO’s that read those 60 books a year get that most problems and challenges are not new. They know someone has already found a solution and written about it. They recognise the tips and knowledge that business books provide.
If you’re not a big reader (yes, some people just don’t enjoy reading books) don’t give up. Turn to the internet. Look for summaries of popular business books because we can guarantee someone has written a summary with the key points from all popular business books. Regularly read a variety of online blogs. Podcasts, videos and audio books are great options for non-readers as well.
At Firestation we believe learning is crucial to our personal success as well as the success of our organisations. We give every new client a book. We also have a library in our boardroom that clients can buy or borrow from. The top books we always make sure we have multiple copies of are:
- The Unfair Fight by Sam Hazeldine
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- Little Book of Leadership by Jeffrey Gitonmer
- Mindset by Carol S Dweck
- Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman
Our other key message to clients is EXECUTE! Learning has no benefit if you don’t use it. Make sure you apply what you learn.