Success Advice
The System for How to Read a Book to Change Your Life

Do you love picking up a new book because you want to change your life for the better? Me too! I couldn’t wait for Crushing It or The 5 Second Rule. But, you have to know how to read a book effectively if you really want to make progress. Statistically, we forget 90% of what we read. That’s ok though because a lot of it is not needed, like emails, advertising, etc.
When you read a book you want to remember the important parts, so you have to figure out how to get the takeaways and implement them. Keep these things in mind as we dig into how to read a book:
- More time with the material means you’ll remember it more.
- Taking action is the most effective way to see an impact.
- Mastering a topic requires focus and study.
- Learning requires repetition.
A System For How To Read A Book To Change Your Life
To start you will need a book, a pen, a notepad or sticky notes and a planner. You will benefit from reading the book multiple times, but if you know you won’t do that, marking the book and taking notes can be highly effective.
When I mark in a book I use a series of symbols to mark different points in the book.
For example:
- ✷ – An asterisk to mark important points for implementing
- ★ – A star anywhere that resonates with me
- “ – A quotation mark for a quote I want to remember
- S – A big S for a story or excerpt on the topic
And I underline all of these as well, including summaries, high points, basically anything I like. I have hundreds of highlights per book and the symbols help me differentiate them. Of course, what you choose for symbols and highlighting is up to you but I’ve found that a pen is best, as I can also circle and write in margins.
Note: You can do this on a kindle, with different colors and it looks pretty nice. I even did different colors on my Mac in Preview on a PDF. But again, you’ll learn more with the book in hand, and it’s better on your eyes.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin
Why Do It This Way?
I’ve been reading a lot of books and this kind of highlighting has made it very easy to skim back through and find the important pieces for memorization. This basically makes it so I can reread a book in less than an hour and get all of the good stuff.
Take Notes When Reading
I recently bought lined, colored, sticky notes with tabs for taking notes when reading, they are called Redi-tag Divider sticky notes. As I read, I look for calls to action such as questions at the end of a chapter, exercises to do to implement the material, etc. I’ll take a sticky note and leave it sticking out at important benchmarks in the book. On the sticky note itself I’ll write down my answers to the exercises, write a note about how I can implement what is suggested or how to make it easier or more successful.
You Need to Apply What You Learn To Make an Impact
Most people want to pick up as much as possible and see change in their lives from a book they read. That’s where applying what you learn is important, because if you don’t use it, you lose it. Implementing takes more work, and that’s why I suggest having a notepad and calendar around to help. While taking notes you’ll want to write down any ideas you have on taking action.
For instance, in The 5 Second Rule I really liked the chapter on health and the motivation I found in it. One of the quotes was “…is this really what I want? Am I really fine being the size I am?” I wrote this down as a motivation quote to use in my calendar.
In Crushing It, Gary Vaynerchuk wrote about wanting to change your life, to live a life that makes you happy, so I wrote this down and included it in my calendar. You can do this while you are reading or once you are done. You’ll want to go to your planner and write in something motivational or challenging from the book, every day for a month. This gives you enough time to take action on a couple of concepts, and it will encourage you to go back and read through your highlights as you strive to change more.
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” – Leonardo da Vinci
If You Really Want to Learn & Change, It Takes Time
A lot of modern authors offer courses in addition to their books. Book clubs are also a great way to take a book to the next level.
Here are a few reasons it’s better to take a guided course or join a book club:
- You can’t speed through the material and you spend more time thinking about it and trying to apply each principle to your life.
- Daily course work encourages you to build habits.
- Guided courses often have support for overcoming obstacles, getting encouragement, and answering questions.
- Group discussions give you insights you probably wouldn’t have picked up anywhere else.
There are a lot of ways you can use the concepts in a book to change your life, lately I’ve been reading Think & Grow Rich, The 5 Second Rule, Crushing It, and You Are A Badass At Making Money, and they’ve all contributed to my own life improvements. I just keep referring back to the content to make sure I use what I’ve learned.
How do you read a book to most effectively take action on it in your life? Comment below!
Image courtesy of Twenty20.com
Success Advice
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)
The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)
Success Advice
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)
Entrepreneurs
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
-
Build diverse talent pipelines
-
Embrace flexible work models
-
Design compelling career paths
-
Simplify HR processes
-
Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
Entrepreneurs
What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators
Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

When you think of Richard Branson (Virgin Group), Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Rupert Murdoch (News Corporation), and Ted Turner (CNN), one thing becomes clear: they are not just entrepreneurs, they are entrepreneurial leaders. (more…)
-
Change Your Mindset4 weeks ago
Why Ideas Are More Valuable Than Resources for Entrepreneurial Success
-
Entrepreneurs4 weeks ago
Building a Business Empire: Lessons from the World’s Boldest Entrepreneurs
-
Health & Fitness3 weeks ago
The Surprising Link Between Exercise and Higher Income
-
Entrepreneurs3 weeks ago
What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators
-
Entrepreneurs2 weeks ago
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
-
Change Your Mindset2 weeks ago
7 Goal-Setting Mistakes That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Success
-
Success Advice1 week ago
What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)
-
Success Advice4 days ago
Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)