08/02/2021

How Reading Poetry Can Improve Leadership Skills

It's something any leader can try

Years ago, I discovered I had a flat spot. Like many who do what I do, I love hard numbers. I also like and work best on focused tasks where siloed concentration achieves aimed-at results.

But at one point, something seemed lacking. Yes, I was good at what I did--results are always important and rewarding--but it was also becoming clear that too much focus had limits. I came to understand that an occasional change of perspective was not an enemy to focus but a powerful friend. That's when I began to look for ways to shift contrast, upend a bit of those customary thought patterns and problem-solving approaches, all to help round out my flat spot.

So in 2007, I began reading poetry. At first, it was hit-and-miss, just something to do. An experiment, really. But when I saw the effect it started having on how I was thinking and (oddly) the improvement in focus, it steadily became a morning ritual. It was a few-minute investment each day.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Inc.