Reading, Leadership, and the Importance of Story
- KP
- Jan 27
- 3 min read
“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Harry S Truman
Throughout humanity’s most recent 3500 years of recorded human history, the vast majority has been written, spoken, and recorded by men, about men.
Studies have produced some stark figures:
Nearly 76% of all history books are written by men, and less than 10% of those men writing about women.
Although women make up 50% of the population, they make up for 0.5% of written history in total according to research by Dr. Bettany Hughes, a historian and author.
Of K-12 curriculum, only 3% is dedicated to the impact of women with only 178 women out of 737 important figures profiled.
All of this leads to a measurable impact on society and how we view women: nearly a quarter of people surveyed could not think of a historical woman and 40% did not think women had as much of an impact on the world as men.
Why is this important?
As a civilization, we are leaving out the voices and stories of at least half of our population, not even considering the additionally more abysmal inclusion of women of color. How do you create, lead, and improve upon an inclusive society when you are leaving so many voices out of the conversation?
When Harry S Truman said his quote, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”, the core of his message is that of endless learning. By reading, one opens themselves up to an entirely new world of thought and perspectives, a vast majority of which are completely unaccessible via other means. The stories that authors share, whether in audiobook form or physical books, are directly connected to their lives, experiences, and knowledge. Reading is like tapping into an alternate universe where you can become another person at another time in another place and come out on the other side changed.
Books have been an incredibly impactful part of my life. In both reading and listening, (I personally love audiobooks read by the author), I have been able to intimately explore and come to understand perspectives that have opened my eyes to the human experience that is not my own. Some are challenging, in that I may not agree or they present subject matter that is uncomfortable on the one end and absolutely gut-heart-wrenching on the other. Some are inspiring, lovely, and altogether a pleasure to read. Throughout it all, books offer the opportunity to expand worldviews that ultimately are catalysts to change in life.
So, how do we fix the problem of most of written history excluding women?
We start by reading and supporting the stories and history that women create. By sharing those stories, both factual and fictional, we gain a more holistic understanding and a deeper appreciation for who we are as a society and who we may become in the future. As leaders, it is our mandate to know the people that we support, and we only do that by being inclusive in our learning and our experience. We simply cannot ignore women any longer, and, I would argue, we must double down on our efforts to make up for the lost millennia of voices.
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I have put together a curated list of my top recommended reads by women, for women, and about women, from fictional novels to profiles in leadership to researched dissertations on the status of women to feminist theory at its best. I have personally read each and every one of my recommendations; and I have learned something valuable from all of them. To see the full list with synopsis of each one, visit the Books section at FeministExec.com.
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