Top Execs Have This Trait in Common

While the average American reads one book a year, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies read an average of four to five books a month. 

Surveys by N2growth indicate that executives who feel they're not achieving the success they're capable of are also usually “too busy to keep up with their reading.” 

Other studies show that active readers are likely to have annual incomes more than five times greater than those who spend little or no time reading.

Great leaders absorb knowledge like a sponge, seeking out information and models in other fields. Continuous learning is critical, because as technology and innovation accelerate, entire industries and professions will also rapidly change.

The challenge for leaders at every level, including executive assistants and administrative professionals, is to out-think the competition by continually absorbing and applying new information.

Here's how to get started:

• Seek situations and people who are unfamiliar or have a different viewpoint. We learn the most when we interact with people who are the least like us and when we place ourselves in new situations. However, most of the time, we interact with people that are the most like us and place ourselves in situations that are familiar and comfortable. Break outside of your comfort zone.

• Challenge yourself to learn new things every day. Read not only business publications but also news or literary materials. Learn how to use new devices and harness the latest technologies, including AI and automation tools for admin professionals.

• Make it a point to learn from failures. Denying or being blind to what’s not working has derailed many an executive. Don't let it derail you either.

• Assess and learn from successes as well and be open to re-learning. Even when "what" you are doing is the same, be open to changing the “how” it is done or achieved. Always look for opportunities to reskill and upskill so you can keep succeeding in fresh, innovative ways.