Leaders Are Readers – Creating My Reading List For 2012
“Leaders are readers.”
I’ve heard Tim Sanders quote this in several interviews on the radio and on podcasts.
It seems to me that there is a lot of truth to this statement. When we feed our minds (with good stuff), we fill it up with tools that are useful for leading and for life. With this in mind, I am beginning to assemble a list of potential books to consider reading in 2012. I should let you know that I’m generally a slow and very deliberate reader, so I’m planning to narrow the list down to twelve with a couple of alternates. Here are some of the books that I’m considering so far:
The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey
Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders
The No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon
Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support by Brad House
Creating Community: Five Keys To Building A Small Group Culture by Andy Stanley
So these are a few of my ideas. I will most likely throw in a fiction book or two (or three).
Now I’d like to hear your thoughts. What would you add to the list? What’s on your “To Read List”? What have you read recently that you think I should consider? I can’t wait to see what you’ve got!
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You might be wondering where the “Stretched” thing comes from. For starters, when I was in high school at Rancocas Valley Regional High School, I was short – 5’6″ to start my junior year. Since then, I’ve grown to almost 6’6″. Many of my friends started calling me Stretch.
On a more recent basis, I often feel “stretched” by all the things going on around me – career, marriage, parenting, church, running, reading, friendships, extended family, relationship with God, etc. (in no particular order). My hope is that this blog will provide an opportunity to express some of my “stretch marks” and to possibly hear your thoughts as well. 
So here is a bit more about me: I’m a Christ-follower, husband, dad, son, uncle, engineer, runner, chicken farmer, gardener, saxophone player, operations manager, adventurer, and the list goes on…. I’m extremely blessed to have the best wife in the whole world. We met at Grove City College. We were engaged on top of the Eiffel Tower. We got married in Greensburg, PA. Now, we live in Schwenksville, PA with our two incredible kids, and our black lab.
The only specific books I’ve put on the list so far are The Chronicles of Narnia. I’ve never read them.
Definitely a must read. My dad read these books to me as a kid, and I’ve had the chance to read them to my kids. Love it!
I would suggest that if you like to read fiction/fantasy you include the first two of Bryan Litfin’s trilogy called The Sword and The Gift. I also found Beautiful Outlaw by Eldredge and good read. Average Joe by Troy Meeder was a good one on men. I am currently reading Bonhoeffer but confess it may take me awhile…a long while.
Bonhoeffer was incredible!! I thoroughly enjoyed it and have downloadedanother book by Metaxes for 2012 reading.
Hey Leah! thanks for the encouragement. I tend to be a slow reader at times…depending on what is going on in my life at the moment. With Christmas happening, it is a little slower. But I am determined to finish it. I just now got to the point where he arrived back in Berlin and met Karl Barth. So…i still have a long way to go.
Thanks for these suggestions. I will definitely check them out!
Ok, now this will sound weird, but I believe Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers is a book every Christian should read. It is based on the book of Hosea and it a stunningly beautiful reminder of God’s unconditional, redeeming love. Yes, it’s a love story and a man probably would not want to be seen holding a love story in his hands…..but that’s the beauty of the NOOK or Kindle. No one will know but you!
Another really awesome book is “Tired of Trying to Measure Up” by Jeff van VonDeren.
Thanks for the ideas, Leah! I don’t have the NOOK or Kindle yet, but maybe someday….!
Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Pastor Tullian.
A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller (I’m reading this now!)
Maybe some of Seth Godin’s more obscure books.
Loren, These look like some great suggestions. I’ll check them out.
Guerilla Lovers by Vince Antonucci!
Great book! Vince has actually been at our church a couple of times – what an amazing speaker!
By the way, I see that you also added snow to the blog! I love this feature that WP is doing!
I heard about it from you, but I figured it out the other day when I was plunking around with some of the blog settings. Thanks for the suggestion!
I’ve heard good things about “The Bible.” Thinking about tackling it. Should take, what, a week or two?
Great list. I’m posting on this topic tomorrow. I would add John Maxwell’s newest book “The 5 Levels of Leadership.” I also have a couple more to add from your list to my book list.
[...] I kicked off the week with a post about my reading list for 2012. Thanks to all of you who gave me ideas to add to my list of consideration. If you missed it, [...]
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