Best Practice

The reading school leader: Five ways to cultivate a habit for life

Reading matters if you want to be a good school leader but finding the time can be difficult. School leader Robbie Burns describes five habits that have helped him become a reading leader
Image: Adobe Stock

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.

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