We all want to encourage our students to become readers, and even support our staff to want to cultivate this habit, too. But what about us as leaders?
Harry Truman said: “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Quotes from others of the same meaning abound. I have taken this to heart in my own life.
For the past six years I have made a point of reading between 30 and 50 books a year, not including many peer-reviewed articles, government policy publications and magazine articles on a regular basis.
As a vice-principal in an all-through school by day and a husband and father of three children when I am at home, many ask how I find the time.
Most make a passing comment about it, but occasionally, some are genuinely interested as they too are seeking to cultivate the habit of the reading life.
Why reading matters to leadership
Reading matters to leadership because we must first lead ourselves. This is what I think Harry Truman meant by his quote. As an avid reader of history, Truman often reflected on the achievements of the great men, women and civilizations of the past and considered what it meant to his work as president in the present day. Of all the things he found in his studies, it was this deep insight: “In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves. Self-discipline with all of them came first.”
This is something we often overlook in the work of leading schools. We spend so much time thinking about the development of our colleagues and of our students that we forget to think about developing ourselves.
We lead from who we are; we lead from our character, and this can be sharpened by studying the leaders of the past. Biographies of great leaders, good quality psychology and business thinking enables us to do this well. There are enough classics from the past 50 years to last a decade of reading in this area.
But there is another point worth making about why reading matters to leadership. Reading matters so that we can cultivate vision. By the very nature of our roles, we must be able to cast compelling visions of the future that may even outlast ourselves. We cannot achieve this by looking inwards at what we are doing everyday alone.
Neither can we achieve this by visiting schools on a regular basis. In my view, the main way a leader can develop vision is by reading. Reading enables leaders to develop their imagination of what could be, or what ought to happen based on strong philosophies of education, sharp thinking in the field of pedagogy, approaches to education from many generations ago, and even thinking outside of our line of work.
This, combined with our own experience and the experiences of others, supports leaders to develop vision.
So reading matters to leadership so that we can lead ourselves and cast a vision for the future with clarity – but how do we develop the time and the space we need to read within our busy schedules? Here are a few strategies, which have since turned into habits, that I have found support my reading life.
Make a list
It is important to take the fuss out of choosing what to read next. By nature, this gap between reading and choosing what to read can be so exhausting that you end up not reading. Therefore, it is important to make a list.
To make a list, you first need to decide not on “all the books you want to read” but on what you want to learn. By focusing on this, you support your reading over the course of time to be rooted in areas of expertise that you are adding to on a regular basis, rather than dipping your toe into the water of 50 different topics.
This process enables you to deepen your knowledge across a range of writers as you are able to compare and contrast their views and assimilate new understanding from one writer to another.
I generally choose two to three topics for a year and then a fistful (or two) of novels that I want to enjoy. For me, this means I can keep learning about topics of interest and also look forward to a range of good quality fiction whenever I am running out of steam or want to have a bit of a mindset shift.
Stack the shelves
The next step is to stack the shelves. Once I have chosen my 30 or so books for the year, I then stack a designated shelf with the books in the order I am going to read them. I do this randomly, sometimes with my eyes closed and a wagging finger; sometimes I get my wife to stack them without me in the room.
This is important because in this process there is always a couple of books that you really, really want to read and those you are less keen on. By sticking to an order, you are able to make sure you read all of them. I have found this to be a really powerful tool in the reading life toolbox.
I don’t buy every book in advance, however. I often only stack about 20 books, knowing that when I next get a voucher, browse a charity shop, or have a little bit of pocket money, I can buy a book on the list.
Carve-out time
This for many is the most challenging part of the reading life. Without becoming a recluse or a hermit, I have been able to read many, many books within the standard rhythms of life. There are a few ways I am able to do this effectively.
First, I create daily time to read. Without fail, I will read a few pages in the morning when I wake up and a few pages when I go to bed. Often, this can equate to 20 or so pages. In 10 days, I’ve read the whole book. Sometimes, during the holidays, I can extend this a little, but in general these two moments enable me to get through a standard-sized book relatively quickly.
Next, I have weekly time when I read. Sometimes this is of an evening instead of watching the television (even one night a week makes a difference). More often than not there are large chunks of time on the weekends when I read, and this is a staple rhythm of my life.
Finally, I do what I can to create an hour a week during work hours to read books or articles linked to my work. Sometimes this is simply the latest Ofsted output, or a research paper of interest. More often than not this is a chapter of a leadership or education book. Tough to do but I do all I can to make this happen.
Reading with a notebook and pencil
If books belong to me, I mark them up, underline, fold pages and add reflections where it is relevant. This stems from what I feel reading ultimately is: a conversation with the author, a dialogue about a particular topic. It can’t simply be one-way communication. This helps me to remember what I read and engage more fully in the descriptions, the arguments, or the insights they may bring.
I also try to take rough notes in a notebook on what the general gist of each book is. They aren’t comprehensive or detailed; just enough for me to remember the overall feel of the book and some of the quotes from it. It is always fun looking back through the notes I have taken about the books I have read and the difference they have made to my thinking today.
Share what you’re learning with others
I am a teacher at heart and always will be. For this reason, I love to talk with others about what I have read. As a leadership team, we share brief reflections at the start of our meetings, and I often share bits about what I have been reading in these moments. I never shy away from telling someone about what I have read and learned, what has surprised me, or whether the book is worth reading.
I often give books away to others when I have finished with them. If they’re a colleague or a leader in another school, I love to buy books as gifts to nudge them towards a habit or enrich the one they already have.
Final thoughts
Make a list. Stack the shelves. Carve-out time. Read with a pencil and notebook. Share what you read. None of these habits are complicated but none of them are easy for the busy leader. However, regardless of the challenge, we must first lead ourselves. A surefire way to do this effectively is by taking our own learning seriously. Reading is the time-tested way to do this well.
- Robbie Burns is vice-principal at Bede Academy in Northumberland. Read his blog via www.howthenshouldweteach.wordpress.com and follow him on X @MrRRBurns. Read his previous articles for Headteacher Update via www.headteacher-update.com/authors/robbie-burns