Why the Ultra Successful People Are Voracious Readers-Here’s Why -

By Sufyan Maan, M.Eng · 5 min read · 6 days ago

Reading taught Elon Musk to build a rocket.

Reading taught Tony Robbins how to build a more practical life.

I read a lot, but not even close to the following really successful leaders. If you do not have enough time to read, here are a couple of stats to change your mind.

Warren Buffet reads 500 pages a day

Mark Cuban reads 3 hours every day

Elon Musk reads 3 hours before bedtime

Bill Gates reads 50 books a year

I am fortunate to have fallen in love and developed a reading habit at a very young age.

My father was a voracious reader.

He had a couple of subscriptions to different magazines in the early 90s. In the first week of each month, a mail carrier would drop a bunch of packages, all books.

He was undoubtedly known as a leader in the community, and people always listened to him. That’s what a leader does to acquire the knowledge and say what needs to be done.

Here is why many CEOs, thought leaders, and even politicians read so frequently.

I know many friends and colleagues who have never touched a book since they graduated. They don’t know that formal education has its limits in terms of time, money, and effort.

However, reading voraciously and incorporating it into a personal routine is the basis of lifelong personal and professional development.

An important part of this continuous learning journey is about learning yourself.

As a dedicated student of writing and words, reading helps me with the following.

To understand who I am,

how I should approach my life,

what I want to focus on

But the benefits of reading extend far beyond learning myself.

Reading benefits the mind by helping you stay sharp.

The most successful people are both scientists and artists, utilizing both the left and right brain.

Credit: Michela Buttignol for Verywell Mind

They actively boost both sides, often through reading.

One way to achieve this balance is by reading both fiction and nonfiction.

Let Me Show You How Reading Books Has the Power To Change Your Life

Fiction or nonfiction?

For example, immerse yourself in Isscson while educating yourself with biographies and insightful opinions.

I’m currently reading “A History of Reading”.

Many successful business leaders embrace this approach.

Reading does more than strengthen our cognitive abilities.

It also promotes intangible skills.

Discipline
Love for learning
Cultivating curiosity
Courage to grow

Why is this?

People who read daily are actively deciding to engage, improve, and challenge their brains.

You don’t need to engage in passive activities like playing video games or binge-watching Netflix/Amazon Prime.

During his tenure, President Obama shared in an interview how books were a sustaining source of ideas and inspiration.

They helped him maintain focus amidst the chaos of 24-hour news cycles and social media flurries.

Books provided him with a renewed appreciation for the complexities and ambiguities of the human condition. I am a huge fan of Barack Obama’s wisdom and the way he speaks so elquently. Credit goes to reading a lot of books.

It’s the power of reading, and it’s why so many leaders across various fields invest in reading habits — reading means compounding knowledge.

There’s another significant benefit of reading that often needs to be recognized.

Its impact on your professional life.

For example:

Reading encourages curiosity, and curious people are often high achievers.

By developing your reading habits, you can become more curious and knowledgeable.

This quality is invaluable in any professional setting.

I hired so many smart people in my life during hiring; I always ask candidates.

What are you reading right now?

What have you read in the last six months?

It helps measure their curiosity, discipline, and eagerness to learn — qualities I value in my team.

Moreover, reading improves communication skills.

I appreciate excellent communication.

Effective writers help readers become better communicators in their own lives.

At the end of the day, reading offers many real benefits for both the mind and the soul.

Awareness of this fact is why successful people prioritize reading as a means of personal and professional development.

Let me share a couple of things about how to become a voracious reader.

Your reading list

The more books you read, the more books you realize you should read.

Recently, I read a biography, Steve Jobs, which recommended many books that I realized I simply have to read, and when I eventually read those seven books, they will also recommend numerous books that I will have to read, continuing the process ad infinitum.

Friends expect you

I thought reading a lot is a question you get asked all the time, neglecting the fact that there are thousands and thousands of books that have to be ignored in favor of the books you do eventually read.

Just because you are a voracious reader does not mean you have read every ‘major’ book written in the last two hundred years.

Re-reading is more important than

I am consistently humbled by how much I miss spotting in my first reading of almost any text.

Only after numerous re-readings of passages and chapters do important themes and ideas start to click.

I now even mark certain sections with the comment ‘return to later’ in the knowledge that I will need to return to that section.

Types of voracious readers

Some will chew up anything in a particular genre or field, and some read expansively and in areas they are uncomfortable with.

I used to belong to the former category (I would only read a specific type of literary fiction), but ever since I switched to the latter, I have become a better reader and a more profound thinker.

Ideas

I will share a detailed review soon here.

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” — Walt Disney

As a new reader, please check my holistic health, productivity, and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and 30+ days of experiments (29 completed so far) to build a sustainable healthy lifestyle.

I also write about the general philosophy of life. For your convenience, here are the links.

Mental Health/Brain Damage, Hiking, Cofee (New Research), Technology, Healthy Lifestyle, Life Lessons, Productivity, Learning, Money