Harry Truman said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” I don’t know that I’ve ever wanted to be a leader, but I’ve always wanted to excel. About a year ago, I was at a crossroads. It was obvious that the things I’d always done wouldn’t be as big a part of what I was going to do.
The biggest struggle was knowing where to start. I didn’t know what to read, who to listen to, and even who to connect with. I needed to learn new skills, acclimate to a new industry, and essentially reinvent myself. I felt alone and lost.
How I Did It.
Today I’m working as CMO of an educational company, growing my consulting practice for small business & nonprofits, and earning 225% more income than I did a year ago doing things I love. I’m truly amazed at the opportunities that personal growth has given me. Here’s a simple progression of what I did:
- Google searches – This helped me discover the industry leaders on keywords I typed in.
- Subscriptions – I subscribed to their blogs, followed them on Twitter, and read their most well-known books.
- Value add proposition – I wrote a job proposal based on all the things I’d learned and how it would help our company turn major profits.
- Free services – I offered to help friends start their business marketing. I wanted to exercise my skills in different areas, not just at work or church. I grew by leaps and bounds because of these unique situations, and did a good enough job that they referred me to paying clients. My consulting practice started, almost by accident.
Believe me, I bought A LOT of books and apps that didn’t help very much, even if they were highly touted or had good reviews. I wish I had a list like this at the time, so I made one for you.
This is my Read-to-Lead Resource Guide, a personal list of top books, podcasts, and apps. The categories cover business, leadership, ministry, marketing, writing, and personal development.
Just leave your email in the sidebar and the Resource Guide link will be emailed to you.
The Real Game-Changer.
The real game-changer was forming a personal growth plan. None of these work without a process of consuming, digesting, and applying them. I read EVERYWHERE. For more on this, read How To Steal Time for Self-Development.
Later, I started blogging seriously. Writing about what I learned helped it stick. I started to teach what I’d learned. I wove this stuff into conversations with my wife, friends, colleagues, clients, heck–even my dogs. If you don’t know how to start a personal growth plan, check out the books in the “personal development” category.
This list is a helpful place to start taking control of your growth and ultimately your business. If you have any questions on what I’ve listed or how I used them, leave a comment below or email me at mike@mikekim.tv. Remember to enter your email in the sidebar. The Read-to-Lead Resource Guide link will be emailed to you. Here’s to your growth!
Question: What books or resources have been invaluable to your growth? Share them below!
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