The value of systematic reading. Retaining and applying current information is vital in developing leadership ability

Keeping up-to-date, having the right information, and growing in knowledge and awareness are more important than ever. Reading is one of the primary ways to develop professional expertise and leadership ability--and to stay competitive. Many persons are facing the new reality: Job security is an inner factor based on inner competence. Part of that competence has to do with one's ability and skill in continually learning. People who read not only develop more competence in their current abilities but, equally important, develop confidence in their ability to learn and meet the demands of accelerated change. Reading helps people stay up-to-date and broaden their perspectives. Reading also provides enjoyment. But if we do not remember and apply what we read, it has little value. People therefore must read widely and read deliberately for retention and application. To make reading a part of their lives, people must make a commitment to read every day, read material that interests them, visit bookstores and libraries, work at retention and application, discuss with others what they are reading, and test what they read against their own experience.