The most successful people are big readers

The most successful people are big readersThe most successful people are big readersAll successful people I know have one thing in common they never stop learning.Thats why so manyCEOs, thought leaders, and politicians read so frequently. Theres a limit to how much time, money, and effort people are able to dedicate to more formal education. Reading voraciously and as part of a dedicated personal bung is the keystone of lifelong personal development.And a big part of that learning is about yourself. Im a student of writing and of words. Personally, reading helps me understand who I am, how I should approach my writing, and what I want to focus my attention on outside of my literary ambitions.But that, of course, is not readings only benefit.Reading benefits the mind because it helps you stay balanced and sharpThe most successful people are both scientists and artists - they utilize both the left and right brain.As such, they actively nurture both those sides, which they oftentimes d o through reading.One example is always reading both fiction and nonfiction. Thats advice I give regularly immerse yourself in the worlds and adventures of James Clavell, but educate yourself with biographies and intelligent opinions - such as Dwight Eisenhowers account of World War II, which is what Im reading now.This is something many, many successful business leaders do, as it supports a healthy, more holistically capable lifestyle.Reading instills discipline and an appreciation for growthReading doesnt just strengthen or nurture both parts of our brain, though - it strengthens more intangible skills, too.Namely, reading regularly makes people more disciplined and engenders an appreciation for learning and growth.Why, exactly? Well, people who make the decision to read every day are actively deciding to engage, improve, and sometimes challenge their brains instead of doing more passive activities, like playing video games or binge-watching Netflix.Thats why some of our most ef fective presidents, for example, have made reading a personal priority. When President Obama was in office, he gave an interview in which he disclosed how books were a sustaining source of ideas and inspiration during his tenure. They helped focus him midst the maelstrom of 24-hour cable news cycles, constant social media flurries, and compromised attention spans that gripped the country at the time. They also gave him a renewed appreciation for the complexities and ambiguities of the human condition.And thats exactly what reading does. Its why we see so many leaders in all the different verticals of human activity invest in their own reading.Reading benefits your businessTheres one last benefit that most people dont associate with reading, and thats the manner in which it can actively benefit your professional life.For one thing, reading encourages curiosity. And people who are curious are, more often than not, high achievers. Understanding this, you yourself can use reading to bec ome more curious and acquire more knowledge.But you can also use that awareness to hone your hiring practices. At BookBaby, when were hiring a potentially key individual, Ill always ask candidates, What are you reading right now? or, What have you read in the last six months? The reason is, I know reading behavior to be an apt barometer in measuring a persons level of curiosity, discipline, and zeal for learning - and curious, disciplined people who are hungry to learn are the sort I want in my company.I dont particularly care what candidates are reading. I just want to see that they are.Its also true, however, that reading helps people improve as communicatorsAs a student of writing, I admire great communication, and as the CEO of a publishing company, I see it as something of a requirement. Writers who communicate effectively for his or her audience help readers do the same in their own life.At the end of the day, reading bears a variety of tangible benefits - regarding both the mind and the soul - and simple awareness of this fact is the most obvious reason successful people prioritize it as a means of professional and personal development.Put simply, reading - in addition to being plain fun - makes people better. And thats why the best of us do it so often.Spatz is a writer, marketer and President of BookBaby, a leading self-publishing company (www.bookbaby.com).This article was originally published on Medium.com.