A wise man once told me that “Leaders are readers.” I don’t think I understood it as much the day I heard it as I do today.

But it is true. Want to be a leader? Read. We’ve just got to read and read widely. Lots of genres, lots of books. That’s the thing about wisdom and leadership…you never know what you’re going to need to know. You never know what new ideas you’re going to need to learn. You just need to learn widely and learn often.

And it’s not hard to read books. Three years ago, I discovered audio books. I re-purposed my commute time in the car and have since read 78 books in my car. Classics, young adult, leadership, economics, marriage, the Bible. 78 books just during my driving time. And I only commute 1 hour a day.

Teachers read.

I’ve been able to recommend so many books to reluctant readers because I’ve read them. A student can tell me a book they enjoyed reading, and I can now give them 4 or 5 new options that they might enjoy and they aren’t just books I read when I was a kid. It keeps me current. It gives me credibility. And it’s one of those small things that helps with classroom management. Street cred (or book cred) improves your classroom management one student at a time.

So what books are you going to read in 2014, teacher, leader? If you’re a teacher, you have about 180 days you will drive to teach. If you’ve got 1 hour a day (1/2 hour each way), that equals 180 potential hours of reading. Many books you could knock out in 4-5 hours. Many more in 10-12.

So let’s get on it…and get leading.

What strategies do you use to read more?