There Is No Such Thing As A "Bad" Book

You probably disagree.
You might even have a long list of "bad" books to share with me.

I invite you to hear me out.

In today's day and age, we often turn to professional development books to give us a formula.

A formula to be a better leader.
A checklist for giving great feedback.
A hack to ensure our team is more engaged.

A few years back someone asked me "Why books?"

Why do I use books at the center of my work?

At the time, I didn't have a great answer.

Now I do.

Books are long, sometimes slow, and relatively permanent - the antithesis of our world.

Yet, that slowness can be meaningful and transformational.

When we allow ourselves to slow down, and truly connect with the ideas in a book, we learn more about ourselves, our values, and the impact we want to make within our teams, organizations, and the world.

Even if the book is "bad."

When you encounter an idea that you don't agree with in a book, you probably move right past, or even stop reading the book altogether.

Instead, I invite you to slow down and ask yourself some deep questions.

In Brené Brown's book Braving the Wildnerness one of the chapters is titled : "People are Hard to Hate Close Up. Move in."

We could say the same about books or ideas.

Even seemingly "bad" books or ideas can teach us something about ourselves and our sense of place in the world.

Get curious.
Move in.

Originally posted on LinkedIn with comments.

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