From “Reading is Done!” to a Lifelong Love Affair: The Joy and My Process.

August 8, 2025

“All leaders are readers.” – John C. Maxwell

Happy Friday, Brew Nation!

I remember the moment I walked across that graduation stage, diploma in hand. The feeling was immense, a wave of accomplishment washing over me. But right alongside that elation was another, perhaps less noble, sentiment: “Finally! No more required reading!” For years, through high school and college, books had felt like assignments, hurdles to overcome. I was done with them.

And for the first few years of my career, I held firm to that philosophy. Why would I voluntarily pick up a book when there were so many other things vying for my attention? I was out in the “real world” now, gaining practical experience. Reading felt… unnecessary.

Then came the nudge, the gentle but persistent hand of a mentor. He handed me a copy of John C. Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Along with the book came a simple instruction: “Read one chapter a week, and after each one, let’s discuss your key takeaways and how you see it applying to your current role.”

That was the crack in my “reading is done” dam. That weekly accountability, that focused discussion, it transformed the act of reading. Suddenly, the words on the page weren’t just abstract concepts; they were real-world principles I could immediately apply. And The 21 Irrefutable Laws? It hooked me. It was like unlocking a secret code to understanding leadership.

Reading opened up a whole new level of learning for me. It allowed me to tap into the hard-won knowledge and wisdom of those who had walked the leadership path before me, learning from their triumphs and their mistakes without having to make all of them myself. It was like having a council of experienced advisors available at any time.

Fast forward almost 30 years and hundreds of books later, and my initial aversion seems almost comical. I’ve not only embraced reading; it’s become a core tenet of my personal and professional growth. It’s as essential as my morning coffee (which, by the way, still tastes better when paired with a good book!).

Over the years, I’ve heard all the excuses, all the barriers to reading, because I used to use those very same ones myself:

“I just don’t have the time.”
“I’m just not a ‘reader’.”
“My attention span just isn’t built for books.”

Well, with all due respect, tough! Because in my experience, all uncommon leaders are readers in some form. The commitment to learning and growth necessitates a consistent intake of new ideas and perspectives. And the fantastic news is that we live in a world with so many accessible formats today: Kindle and e-books for convenience, audiobooks for your commute or workout, even concise executive summaries for those truly pressed for time. The format is less important than the commitment.

So, if you’re looking to cultivate this crucial habit, here are a few tips that helped me and that I often share with those I coach:

Start Small: Don’t try to tackle War and Peace right out of the gate. Commit to just 10 pages a day. Think about it – most leadership books hover around the 220-page mark. That seemingly small daily commitment can translate to reading roughly twelve valuable books a year!
It’s Okay to Say “Next!”: Don’t feel bad if you start a book and it just doesn’t connect with you. Life is too short to force yourself through something that isn’t resonating. I’ve even heard a rule of thumb: if a book doesn’t grab you within the first number of pages equal to your age, it’s perfectly acceptable to put it down and move on to something else.
Make Your Mark (Literally!): Don’t treat your books like museum pieces. Engage with them! Something impacts you? Highlight it. A key point you want to remember? Underline it. A passage that’s particularly insightful? Dog-ear the page. I personally love the look of a well-worn book, filled with markings and bent pages – it tells the story of the learning that happened within. This isn’t just about making your book look “used”; it’s about actively engaging with the content and making it yours.

The Uncommon Leader Podcast Book Review System: Your Impact Score

To truly internalize what I read and gauge a book’s effectiveness, I’ve developed a specific rating system, much like how we vet the insights and guests for The Uncommon Leader Podcast. A book’s true value isn’t just in how many pages it has, but how many pages grab you, make you pause, make you think, and compel you to act.

Here’s the formula I use:

Dog-Ear Value: Each page you dog-ear (that “must-revisit, take-notes, take-action, share-with-the-world” page) is worth 10 points.
Underline Value: Each page where you underline content (that “powerful insight, resonate-with-me, highlight-this” moment) is worth 2 points.
Total Engagement Score: (Number of Dog-Eared Pages * 10) + (Number of Underlined Pages * 2)
Impact Score: (Total Engagement Score) / (Total Number of Pages in the Book)

Let me give you an example from a recent read:

Total Pages: 241
Dog-Eared Pages: 17
Underlined Pages: 59

Calculation: (17 Dog-Eared Pages * 10 points/dog-ear) + (59 Underlined Pages * 2 points/underline) = (170) + (118) = 288 Total Engagement Score

Impact Score: 288 / 241 = 1.195 (We’ll round that to 1.20 for simplicity)

The Rating System (The “Impact Meter”)

With an Impact Score, I can quickly categorize a book’s true value:

1.00+ (Champion’s Choice – Must Read NOW!): This book is not just good; it’s absolutely transformative, a game-changer. It will redefine how you lead, think, and live. Clear your schedule and dig in.
0.75 – 0.99 (Gold Medal Read – Highly Recommended!): A truly excellent book packed with actionable insights and profound wisdom. It will significantly equip and encourage your leadership journey. A powerful investment of your time.
0.50 – 0.74 (Bronze Medal Read – Solid & Valuable): A good book with valuable takeaways and specific areas that will enhance your leadership. Worth exploring.
Below 0.50 (Honorable Mention – Some Gems): While it might offer a few good nuggets, it didn’t consistently hit the mark for sustained engagement or profound impact across its entirety.

This system helps ensure that when I say a book is a “top 10 read ever,” the numbers genuinely back up that qualitative assessment!

Finally, one of my greatest joys now is giving books as gifts. It’s a way to share the knowledge and inspiration that has been so valuable to me.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing reviews of a couple of books that have been particularly impactful on my leadership journey, and we’ll even be exploring some fun ways for you to win copies for your own library!

Now, I’d love to hear from you, Brew Nation! What are some of your favorite reading tips? How have books impacted your growth as a leader or as an individual? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Quote of the Week

“My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”
– Abraham Lincoln

Being effective as a leader means consistently choosing discipline over distraction. It’s about deeply reflecting on what’s working, humbly learning from what hasn’t, and courageously course-correcting in relentless pursuit of uncommon growth. Leaders don’t just drift into success—they evaluate, decide, and act. At Growing Champions, we equip leaders with the precise tools and vision to do just that—because real leadership is about consistent, deliberate alignment between your values, your habits, and your desired outcomes.

👉 Ready to take ownership of your reading habit and become a leader who grows intentionally? 📩 Email me at coachjohngallagher@gmail.com with the word ‘OWN’ in the subject line, and I’ll send you my best resources to help you start your leadership reading journey today.

What you need to do:

Your Call to Action: Take Ownership of Your Growth

The biggest barrier to growth is the one we allow ourselves to build. It’s time to take ownership of your personal and professional development.

Do you want to become a Champion who reads? Do you want to move from feeling disconnected from new knowledge to actively internalizing wisdom that makes an impact? Then, you must commit to putting a simple system in place to truly engage with the books you read.

After you finish your next book, use these questions to process what you’ve learned and make it stick:

What did I THINK? 🤔 What new ideas or perspectives did this book introduce? What core concepts resonated with me?
What did I FEEL? 😮 How did this book’s message emotionally impact me or challenge my existing beliefs? Did it inspire me to act?
What should I SHARE? 🗣️ What is the one key takeaway I need to share with my team, a friend, or a fellow leader? What wisdom can I pass on?

You’ve got the time. You’ve got the tools. Now it’s time to make this year your most intentional, inspiring, and uncommon year yet.

It’s an honor to be your trusted Friday Coffee Guy. Each week, I bring what I’m learning and living in the trenches of leadership. If this edition challenged or encouraged you, share it with someone who leads, stays faithful, or learns alongside you, then click subscribe. Let’s grow Brew Nation together! ☕💪