Read to Succeed: Great Readers Make Great Leaders

By Charles ODonnell

This book details the importance of adult reading skills, and the role that they play in our Career success by enhancing our vocabulary, and our choice of words, and in our writing, to communicate ideas, suggestions, problems, and concerns verbally and in writing. Many of our most successful executives are avid readers.

Generals, Presidents and Executives who are at the top of their organizations, got there because they knew how to convey a thought or message in a meaningful and assertive way. Personal examples are given that illustrate how the proper use of language can change the meaning and intent of our actions based on our choice of words.

This Book starts with parenting suggestions to get kids interested in reading, moves into the high school and teaching examples, and quickly moves into the adult world This Book starts with parenting suggestions to get kids interested in reading, moves into the high school and teaching examples, and quickly moves into the adult world of how these basic skills when properly used, can overcome obstacles for those with no college degree, and help those with a degree use their skills more effectively.

The author himself, became a successful CEO despite the lack of a college degree and frequently rose above his peers who did. Reading and Writing skills made the difference. In this book he illustrates those talents through many examples. Well written and lauded by educators.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669852636

Charles ODonnell

Charles O’Donnell is a retired executive, a certified project manager, a Toastmaster DTM, and former CEO. He is revered for being articulate, innovative, detail-oriented, and someone who “can get things done”. He has worked for two airlines, a city transit agency, a major Seaport, a multi-state retailer, a billion-dollar grocery wholesaler, and the State of Washington. He developed one of the first college-accredited Grocery Management courses in 1980 and was CEO for a regional retailer from 1985 to 1995. He then managed one of the largest distribution centers in the U.S. (1.5 million sq. ft) and went on to manage Washington State’s liquor distribution center in 2011 before retiring. He has authored several books on a wide variety of subjects. He loves to travel and has visited over 50 countries. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, boating, landscaping, restoring old cars, and genealogy. He has been married for over 55 years and has three grown children. He and his wife now live near Seattle

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Dedicated to my mother

Elizabeth A. O’Donnell

Thank you for encouraging me to read

Copyright © 2022 by Charles O’Donnell.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 10/28/2022

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Preface

Most of us take reading for granted. We are oblivious to the impact reading is having on our vocabulary, our memory, our personality, and our imagination. We assume because we can read, that our brains are fully developed and reading merely provides us with information and/or entertainment. By the time you finish reading this book, you might be surprised to learn that as a result of reading it, your brain has added more connections and may even have contributed to enhancing your knowledge.

When you read about the most successful people in America, almost all of them have a common thread of great communication skills, despite the fact that they have been educated in different schools in different States, in different countries, in different languages..

They have educational achievements that range from just a high school education, all the way up to a Ph.D. In fact, it may surprise you to learn that within the so-called top 1% of the wealthiest individuals in the United States, a large number have only completed a high school education.

How is it possible that these folks managed to become so successful, and are able to convey their ideas and ambitions to Bankers, Lawyers, Accountants and World leaders, when they seem to lack the number one credential of having an Ivy League education?

The answer boils down to the fact, that they know and understand the language and nature of business professionals. They have read the industry publications that are often read by the same professionals, and as a result, can carry on a conversation using terms, concepts, strategies, and ideas, knowing some of the legal, financial and political implications, even if they do not know the finite details, that you learn as part of a college education.

When I was about eleven years old, I started reading Forbes Magazine, which at the time, was the premier business magazine. I started reading it, because my dad subscribed to it. I have always been interested in the auto industry, and Forbes had articles not only about the car manufacturers, but the manufacturers of trucks, trains, ships, airplanes and heavy equipment. I enjoyed reading about the financial challenges and decisions they faced, the operational break-throughs they were making, and most importantly, how their C.E.O.’s coped with the business opportunities and competitive threats they were faced with on a daily basis. This was heady stuff for a young boy.

Malcolm Forbes, the editor, would ask them key questions about the strengths and weaknesses of their organizations and what they were doing about it. Their answers were always revealing and they often talked about their mentors, their executive staff, the challenges and opportunities they faced, and recent books they had read. This was heavy reading for an eleven-year-old, but as I got older and continued to read Forbes, (I still read it today), the Wall Street Journal, and occasionally, U.S. & World Report, I began to develop my own sense of what business acumen was, how to develop it, and how to use it.

When you think about the level of education I was gaining, relative to my peers, and the minimal cost of a magazine. This level of knowledge gained, served me very well over the years, and certainly accounted for a successful career in several different industries. Reading has always been more than just entertainment to me.

My hope is, that this book will increase everyone’s awareness of how important good reading skills are to succeeding in life and will encourage you, or your child, or your staff, to read everything you/they can get your hands on.

I have organized this book as both a teaching aid, and a business guide. I start with how we develop an interest in reading in children, and work our way into critical thinking and problem solving in adulthood, in order to demonstrate that we continue to benefit from reading at all ages, which is why reading is so important to us. Brain studies show that senior citizens in their eighties and even older, continue to benefit mentally from reading.

I also included some materials that will be of particular interest to Teenagers, Supervisors, Managers, and Executives. Why reading skills should be part of every job interview, the impact of reading on decision making, and judgement calls.

Most importantly, is the chapter devoted to inspiration and motivation. If you are in charge of managing large groups of people, as I was, most of my career, I think you will find this chapter quite interesting. I might also suggest you read Chapter Twenty. The final chapter is an eye-opener.

Finally, this book is a tribute to the thousands of teachers who commit themselves each day to shaping the generations of kids in the past and to the generations of kids in the future. When people talk about our nation’s Best and Brightest, they are talking about your handiwork.

Thank you for purchasing this book. Great readers make great leaders!

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1     Reading and the brain….

Chapter 2     How to build an interest in reading in kids.

Chapter 3     The role of humor

Chapter 4     The role of music

Chapter 5     The role of imagination

Chapter 6     The role of good manners

Chapter 7     Newspapers, the Internet, and Books

Chapter 8     Language skills: Reading & Creative writing

Chapter 9     Language skills: Vocabulary & Public speaking

Chapter 10   Language skills: Comprehension & Retention

Chapter 11   Morals & Ethics:

Chapter 12   Common Sense & Consequences

Chapter 13   You are what you read

Chapter 14   Optimism & Opportunity

Chapter 15   Inspiration & Motivation

Chapter 16   Critical thinking & Problem solving

Chapter 17   Decisiveness & Urgency

Chapter 18   Integrity & Character

Chapter 19   Life Planning & the world around us

Chapter 20   When Schools fail

Teacher Dedication

Introduction

Somehow, we have lost sight of our most important life-skill; Reading, or more importantly, the ability to read well, and the desire to read often.

Reading influences our knowledge, our character, our creativity, and our opinions. With that in mind, you have to wonder why we seemingly discount the importance of Reading relative to other subjects, activities or skills. Reading does not just enhance our intelligence; it develops our intelligence. It is what makes us interesting people to others. Reading is not just entertainment Reading provides the very basis of our knowledge, skill, and experience.

As a parent, you should be alarmed if your child does not read well. As a teenager, you will soon learn the role Reading plays in your future success. As a Supervisor, Manager, or Executive, you are already aware of the importance of not only hiring employees who read regularly, but what they read as well.

This book starts out with the basics of why Reading plays such an important role in our development. More importantly, you will see in the following chapters, how reading enhances our ability to succeed as an adult by influencing how well we write, how well we speak, how we think about things, how we make decisions, and by choosing what to read, how we can be more successful in our careers’ and why.

If you are the parent of a young child, the beginning chapters of this book should be a must read. Your role as a parent is to build a framework for learning, to reinforce what your child is being taught, and to support any effort to help your child live a successful and satisfying life. Finding the balance between working, managing a household, and raising children is tough, but, as a parent, it is a role you chose.

If you are an Educator, I hope this book will inspire you to press harder on your students to learn to read well, and to use that ability to succeed in life. If a child is struggling with reading, you will need to find out why and change their trajectory. Passing children onto the next grade when they should be held back is the primary sin of our educational system. Let somebody else fix it. I am tired of dealing with this child. These are the sins that teachers commit when they don’t take their role as educators seriously enough. You are not baby-sitters, although at times it may seem so. Your role is to ensure a given level of achievement is reached before a child is moved to the next grade. It is a hard decision, but we are talking about a child’s future ability to work, to contribute, and to be successful. As a teacher, it is a role you chose.

If you are a teenager, you will soon be entering the workforce, or as we adults call it; the real world. In the real world, you will soon realize that your ability to think, speak, write, read and succeed, will all contribute to your career success. You will learn things they didn’t teach you in school. If you choose to be lazy, put things off, or ignore advice, the consequences will be a life potential that went unfilled. That is a choice you make. Don’t blame somebody else.

If you are a Supervisor, Manager or Executive, the latter half of this book may be more your cup of tea, but you should read the entire book if you truly want to read to succeed. Your ability to communicate well orally, and in writing, is what will make you stand out as a candidate for the executive team. Your ability to lead and direct others with professionalism and confidence will define you, and will in the end, determine your own career path. You should make this book a must read.

*   *   *   *   *

Although the focus of this book may initially seem to be to encourage children to read early, and read often, the overall content actually applies to every adult who is trying to advance in their career and may not realize that their ability to read, speak, and write well, are often the key to success. You also may not realize how reading has shaped you, your attitude, your personality, and your character.

During my working career as a Supervisor, Manager and Executive, I have worked with thousands of employees in various occupations. From my first part-time job as a mailman in the U.S. Postal Service, to my later work as a CEO in Retail operations, Airline logistics, and Government administration, I have marveled at the diversity of communication skills exhibited by both the highly educated and the poorly educated. To say that our educational system is deficient in teaching these skills is an understatement.

I thought about this problem a lot over the years and I realized that the best communicators, both in person and in writing, were people who, regardless of their level of education, were Readers. It is my belief that people who like to read, learn how words are spelled, and learn the context of how certain words are used and how they are communicated.

Reading helps us become better communicators because we are learning more than just the material we are reading about. We are learning