The title of this section may be a pithy saying, but it’s also objectively true. Readers often make better leaders. And not just because the two words rhyme. World-renowned business leaders like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk are outspoken about how their active reading impacts their success.

That’s not to say that reading was the only thing that lead them to business success. It takes hard work and relationships and luck to build a multi-million dollar corporation. But being widely read can also give anyone the skills they need to get there.

• Experience: Reading more, whether fiction or nonfiction, gives us a broader base of knowledge and experience. Having more information on hand helps leaders to make more educated and well-rounded decisions.
• Critical Thinking: Having the longer attention span and brain power that reading provides allows leaders to think more critically. Decision-making is easier when you’ve been exposed to a wider variety of ideas and situations through reading.
• Communication: Reading deals heavily with language. And immersing yourself in reading improves your brain’s ability to deal with language—both written and spoken. Which results in better communication skills when it comes to leadership.
• Curious: Readers are typically curious—we want to find out what other people think or what information we don’t already know. As leaders, this attitude helps us to keep a more open mind and a flexible approach to problem-solving.
• Empathy: When we read, we see things from other people’s perspectives. We get different viewpoints of the world. Readers can’t help but be more empathetic as a result of what they read. And empathy is a huge advantage for leaders. At least, those who work with people.

Reading and leading don’t just rhyme. They’re closely connected to one another. According to author and entrepreneur Michael Hyatt, “A readership crisis is really a leadership crisis.”