How I Read Books with Limited Time

Be picky about the books you read

Books are a great way to expand your skills. However, it can be quite difficult for me to find time for them, so I am very selective about which ones I read. Today, I would like to share my approach to reading books on soft skills.

If you are struggling to find time but have made a New Year's resolution to read more books, then read on.

Why I read books on leadership / soft skills

I used to want to read every book that someone recommended, but now I resist the urge. I have a checklist to ensure there is at least one valid reason for me to spend a few hours with the book.

1. Learn something new

Books are a condensed version of other people's experiences & lessons. So, if I am in the market to learn more about a specific topic. Eg: When I wanted to be a better feedback giver and be "direct" in my conversations, I found great tips from books.

2. Give structure to things I already know

I learned a lot of people skills tricks from my experience. However, when I wanted to help other people be great leaders, I relied on top books to structure my own experiences. They made it easy for me to identify their challenges and make relevant suggestions.

3. Build a deeper understanding of things I think I know

I have a lot to learn, and I may not know what I don't know. So when I want to go deeper into nuanced topics like resolving disagreements or how to work with different kinds of people, I read books.

So, if at least one of these is true then I read it.

How I read books

1. Book summaries first

   • I read multiple book summaries and evaluate if the key message is relevant to me.

   • If it is, it goes to my reading list; otherwise, I either skip it or put it on my backlog.

   • When it goes on my backlog, I capture the links to the book summaries I read and my high-level thoughts.

2. Read the actual book but be okay with dropping it midway

   • I used to have the bad habit of reading books cover to cover and hesitating to start a new one before finishing the previous one. This made the whole experience tiring.

   • Now, I read the chapters that interest me based on the summaries.

   • Note: Book summaries don't include examples and experiences, so I read the relevant chapters to learn the topic in depth.

3. Take notes

   1. I use Kindle to read and take notes.

   2. I sync these notes to Notion.

   3. After reading a couple of chapters, I make short summaries. I jot down the most important message that resonated with me. (The sad part is, I only started doing this a year ago, so I don't have those for the older books.)

4. Connect my experiences

   1. I will introspect my past actions against what is recommended. I will evaluate if and why I should keep/change my behaviors.

   2. This is where the true learning begins.

5. Apply the lessons

   1. This is an ongoing process. I will refer back to the lessons whenever similar situations arise.

   2. Note that not all suggestions may be relevant to you. So, it is important to filter what applies to your situation.

Book recommendations

I will leave you with 5 books that taught me valuable lessons:

1. One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

   1. I read it after I had a major instance of giving weak feedback, so the lessons stuck with me.

   2. The book changed how I discuss problems with peers. Eg: I still use silence to let people talk more rather than dominating the conversation.

2. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

   1. Chris Voss was a hostage negotiator. Fortunately, I never had to deal with that, but the book taught me the importance of maintaining a calm tone and body language.

   2. There are plenty of other tips in the book to help resolve disagreements.

3. Radical Candor by Kim Scott

   1. The book preaches the importance of caring personally and challenging directly. This led to my own philosophy of being approachable in order to deliver critical feedback easily.

   2. I believe that when you have a good working relationship with your peers, they will respect all your opinions.

4. Manager Path by Camille Fournier

   1. When I read the book, I related to almost every problem and suggestion given. It provided a structure to my experiences in leading teams.

5. Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

   1. I delayed reading this book for a long time, and I regret that.

   2. This book taught me that courage is about being vulnerable and willing to fail. I had the wrong assumption that I had to be perfect to lead, and I wasted over 5000 hours due to perfectionism.

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