Leaders are readers. That’s a hill we’ll die on here at GUIDE Culture.
Reading is one of the most efficient ways to acquire information and we know that leaders need a tool box full of general information to analyze and seize opportunities. In a study done by Anne E. Cunningham, when comparing the knowledge of readers and television watchers, leaders not only knew more but they were also better at deciphering misinformation – aka reading improved their judgment.
If you’re anything like us, you can think of at least one or two books that have shaped you you are as a person. Here are the 5 books that shaped Kat as a leader:
- The Psychology of Winning by Denis Waitley | This book is all about having a winning mindset. Dr. Waitley reminds us that you move in the direction of your most dominant thought, for better or for worse. As a winner, look at the dominant thought of desire. What mission are you on? Why are you on it? Who can you help? And that desire pulls your forward and almost makes you feel like “I can’t not do this – that person is out there for me to help”.
- Start With Why by Simon Sinek | Ultimately you want to be someone who persuades for good – who helps someone take that next step forward. While manipulation tactics work, they don’t usually align with the person you want to be. What’s really valuable is to inspire someone to take action and for them to feel why it matters that they buy and transform their life.
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie | Most people care about whats in it for them and how interested you are in them as a person. Every message that you have can be focused on someone and should come down to asking people questions. When you ask them questions and you are interested, that’s what makes you interesting to other people – they think “I want to be led by them”.
- The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson | Winners and losers both have the same goals, but it’s the winners who are in the top 5% because they are willing to subscribe to simple disciplines that are easy to do (and are also easy not to do). It doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it – what matters is that you subscribe to the disciplines that put you 95% ahead of everyone else because most people are not willing to do disciplined things.
- Intentional Living by John C. Maxwell | Live a persuasive life. Be someone who takes so much action because you believe, because you’re on a mission that people look at you. And when you show them what you’re doing they’ll believe who you say you are becoming. It’s easier to go from failure to success than excuses to success. You learn nothing from making excuses and you learn so much from failure if you’re willing to actually do something and think “why did that not go well?”
At Guide Culture, we’re on a mission to not just empower people to make more sales, but equip them to do it better and faster than ever before. Our version of winning looks like watching you lead your prospects to the right solution for them, lead your team to a common goal, or lead your family to grow into the humans you know they can be. We believe sales is bigger than that slimy feeling you say you get when you pitch a new prospect. It’s about loving and serving your people well. And learning how to do it is not something you can afford to push to the side anymore.
If you’d like to learn more about our next cohort this April, shoot us a DM with the word BLOG at @theguideculture on Instagram!
You can purchase our book, Persuade for Good by clicking here!
