"He listens to books on tape? How utterly boring.”

A conversation from 1998.

“He has a driver and a long commute. He listens to books on tape.”

“He listens to books on tape? How utterly boring.”

I was listening to this conversation between my VP and a colleague at our weekly meeting.

I had no idea there were such things as books on tape. I had been called a voracious reader myself, and I could not grasp the interest of listening to someone read a book to me. I listened to music on cassette tapes. By then, most eight-tracks and the their massive players were considered old technology. CDs were making their way into people's hands as the CD-playing Walkman was new technology and very expensive. Books on tape was a new concept for me.

Then I wondered: What kinds of books did he listen to on his ride to and from work? Was he listening to fiction or non-fiction? Did he learn anything he used at work? Why not just read the book? He had a driver.????????????????????????????????

This conversation took place a while back, but the topic of understanding how executives continually learn and grow has always been of interest. Specific development programs provide education on how to be a CEO, but what about leaders who have been in their role for a long time? What will a development program teach a CEO who has led global businesses, caused creative disruption in their market, or made multi-million or even billion-dollar deals? These are the leaders we aim to bring in to educate and inspire the students.

Does a successful CEO, or any senior executive, get to the point where there is just not much more they can learn because they know so much? Have they had so much success that they have no need to learn; they just teach others?

The focus on service by teaching others – yes.

Does high success mean there is no longer a need to learn – absolutely not.

There were numerous examples of senior leaders continuing to educate themselves. It was clear that leaders who are very successful seek knowledge and growth continuously. They are not seeking to increase competence; they are seeking a greater understanding and awareness of what impacts their larger organization and the people within contributing to daily operations and outcomes.

Senior leaders are proactive in seeking knowledge. They call industry leaders, speak with economic and trend experts, and participate in think tanks, where they are intellectually stimulated by engaging discussions. They also join special interest groups and attend summits, demonstrating their commitment to professional development through various learning activities.

No matter how they pursued continuous learning, these top executives always expressed enthusiasm when discussing educating themselves. They were constantly finding ways to expand their knowledge. They made calls, sought resources, and delved into new areas with focused energy.?

And they read books. Many books. And they listened to books.

As each executive shared a title they enjoyed, I also purchased the same book to read. There were many titles. However, several CEOs mentioned one book that I had not anticipated being so highly recommended. Of course, I am reading that book, too.

So, here's the deal: Tell me what book you think was the number one book recommended. Then, next week, I will share the title with you. I won't even make you wait until my book is published.