JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
There used to be an old public service announcement saying something along the lines of "reading is fundamental." I'm a huge fan of reading, both for professional and leisure reasons. I find it even better when the two overlap. However, there are a number ... a large number of people ... who say reading just isn't for them or that they're not readers.
In our profession, everyone needs to be a reader. We read everything from professional military education to the Professional Development Guide. We must read to succeed.
Some may argue, why bother reading when we can just go live life and learn from experience. That is actually an excellent approach - within reason. One can certainly learn a lot from experiences, both good and bad. Who among us hasn't learned from the successes and mistakes of our leaders?
The catch with that approach is that none of us are going to live long enough to have the time to learn everything we need to know through personal experience. That's why we have to look for alternatives that allow us to learn but still live our own experiences.
So, we read. We read biographies, histories, case studies and the like. This helps us learn from the past. And from the past, we can navigate the future. There's a popular saying, "those who don't study the past are doomed to repeat it." The originator of this saying was philosopher George Santayan, who said "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." He also said "...only the dead have seen the end of war."
Those two sayings work well together, especially in our profession. Our mission is to 'Fly, Fight and Win.' We do a lot of other great missions, but when it comes down to it, our primary mission is to defend the United States of America, its people and its interests. We are guardians of freedom and by studying the past and others' experiences, we increase our knowledge and even our base of experience. This helps in nearly every facet of life. Why make the same mistakes as those who came before?
And don't limit your reading to just histories or military journals. Expand your mind and know-how with a wide variety of material. There are a lot of great books out there on leadership - Gates of Fire, Starship Troopers (the book - not the movie), Lords of Discipline and more. Vary your reading so it includes all types of material. You'll be amazed at what lessons you'll pick up!
Then, to maximize your gains from reading, combine reading with talking. Talk to your peers, your subordinates, your superiors. Everyone has an opinion and everyone will take away something different from the same reading.
I read a lot, but often-times I gain the most from a reading after I discuss it with others. They may pick up something I missed or interpret it differently. By combining the two, reading and discussion, you expand your range of experience and learning.
Why doom yourself to remain always behind the power curve? Instead, start a reading program - the Air Force Chief of Staff has a list - and then talk about what you've read. You'll be a better Airman, warrior and leader for it.