Successful Leaders Read 5x More Books Than the Average Person 🤯
A personal essay + the books I'm turning to this summer when I need to shut my laptop.
Welcome to Reframed! I'm Ashley Rudolph and I write this newsletter for high-performers ready for the next level in their careers. Since we have ~300(!) new folks here, a quick reintroduction felt right.
I’m a former tech exec turned executive coach. I work with high-achieving, successful leaders in beauty, media, spirits, tech, and design. I help people lead with clarity, confidence, and intention, especially when they’re in roles that look shiny on the outside but feel chaotic or confusing from the inside.
Before this chapter, I was a VP leading operations and project management teams in tech. I have firsthand experience with the messiness of leadership and, of course, all the positives. Now I write this newsletter, host a podcast (The Impactful Conversations Effect) with my dear friend
, and coach clients who are navigating transitions or just trying to lead without burning out.If you’re new here, welcome. If you’ve been here for a while, thank you for sticking around!
Let’s get into it.
INTRO: STORY TIME
My favorite song is playing (“Sweet Honey Buckin”). I’m one of 70,000 people packed into Mercedes Benz stadium, buzzing with childlike excitement, full on experiencing one of the greatest living performers of our time. The music is so loud I can feel it in my chest. She’s blending some of my faves from Renaissance seamlessly with Cowboy Carter. Me and my friend are screaming every single word at the top of our lungs and honestly, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to speak tomorrow.
If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m riding a Cowboy Carter tour high. I love seeing Beyoncé live because she pulls me out of my head and back into my body. Out of the cerebral, coaching-heavy head space I live in most days. I’m constantly:
Evaluating my clients
Evaluating myself
Evaluating our collective growth
All in service of supporting them to reach their goals.
The point is, I spend A LOT of time in my head for work. So, one night with the Queen transports me fully into experiential mode.
When I’m there, I’m present. And…you never know when you just might get an impromptu Jay-Z performance (!!).
But I wasn’t always like this.
I used to cancel plans all the time. I’ve canceled concerts (that I bought tickets to), Broadway shows (yep - had seats!), dinners, and any commitment that wasn’t work. I’d tell myself I was too busy, but the truth was a bit more devastating than that.
I was terrified.
Terrified that if I stepped away, I’d miss something (an email, a Slack, or a text). And if I missed something, I’d mess something up, and if I messed something up...I’d get fired.
I stayed close to my laptop at all times. Checked Slack before I got out of bed, literally started my work day at 7am, laptop in bed, before even brushing my teeth (gross!). Answered emails at dinner.
I didn’t know how to feel okay unless I was on top of everything and even then, it never felt like enough.
I thought that’s just what it meant to be a successful leader who really cared. But looking back, I was basically in the middle of a silent crisis, but calling it “committed” and “hard working” because that sounded more noble.
It’s no surprise that six months later, I was in the throes of a medical emergency and needed surgery.
But that, my friends, is a story for another time.
My point is, I wouldn’t go back there. Ever.
I still remember it so clearly. That version of me is still close enough to touch. And even though I came back from it, into more productive ways to work and a significantly healthier mind and body…she's become a reminder of the version of myself that I never want to be again.
But that difficult time also gave me a superpower. These days, I can feel that energy flicker in myself or a client and I know how to name it. And how to help steer us somewhere more grounded. Out of survival mode. Out of panic. If you’re a current or former client and you’re reading this and I hadn’t shared this story — this is why I “get it” and why I’m so confident things are better on the other side.
THE SHIFT: READING AS TOOL TO INTERRUPT UNHEALTHY WORK PATTERNS
One of the tools that helps me now is reading.
And I can’t lie, like many people, my attention span is comically low. So I read in spurts. 30 minutes on the train. 5 pages before bed (rarely), when I wake up (also rarely, if I’m being honest), or midday (1-2x a week!). I listen to audiobooks while I walk. I do all of this not because I’m trying to create some cute or aspirational lifestyle online, I do it because my brain needs it.
Books remind me that the world is bigger than myself. That there are different ways to think, lead, feel, be.
So today, I’m sharing some recommendations: a few books I’ve read this summer and picks curated from some smart, thoughtful people on Substack.
Think of it as a book list for people who can’t find the time (or focus long enough) to read books.
And yes, it’s true. Successful leaders read 4-5 books per month compared to the average person (1 book per month). Maybe there is something to be said about the correlation between reading more and impactful leadership.
Start with a chapter and let your brain go somewhere else.
10 Books for People Who Don’t Have the Time or Can’t Focus Long Enough to Read A Book
5 Fiction Recommendations
The Great Mann: I feel like I’ve seen this on multiple must read lists, including
’s Ultimate Summer Reading List. I love the premise (a black reimagining of The Great Gatsby), I can’t wait to read it.Mutual Interest: Also on the Culture Study list. Saw her description (below) and added it to my list. The Electric Literature write-up of this is “Hernan Diaz's Trust but make it gay??” and that's enough to sell me. Me too.
Audition: After reading the first couple of pages of this one I thought it was going to be a Babygirl type novel!? Now that I’m about halfway through, I’m ready for a better plot twist tbh.
Summer on the Bluffs, Barefoot, and The Rumor: I got all three of these recs from
in the comments of a previous post. They sound like the perfect light summer reads.Atmosphere: Recommended by
. I loved The 7 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, so putting Atmosphere on my “to read” list was a no brainer.
WORK WITH ME →
Ready to stop spiraling?
I work with high-achieving leaders who sometimes feel stuck in survival mode — overthinking, overworking, and constantly questioning if they’re doing enough. If you’re trying to lead with more intention (and less anxiety), coaching might be the next right step.
I have a few 1:1 spots open this quarter.
5 Non-Fiction Recommendations
The Gap and the Gain: When we interviewed Lissy Alden on our podcast in Season 2, she recommended this book. Lissy is brilliant, she’s an expert in mental fitness (aka training your brain to be more resilient, productive, and healthy). I trust any of her recs.
Girl on Girl: You may have seen me reference this book in a previous issue of Open Tabs or rave about it on Notes. I flew through the audio book in 3 days, I could’ve finished it in 2. It’s that good. It’s a harrowing look at pop culture in the 00s and how the media’s depiction of women have shaped an entire generation of millennial women. I’m still processing it.
Ambition Monster: My next read. I saw it in a bookstore, didn’t buy it, then got a trusted rec (from
) and bought it at The Strand. We need more honest, unvarnished accounts of high-achieving women and what their lives actually look like (highs and lows). Clearly we’re over the “girl boss” narratives from the previous decade but ambition didn’t die, so why not continue to explore this theme?The Anxious Generation: I read this right before Girl on Girl, so it was interesting to read a take on how smartphones have shaped a generation right before a look at how media portrayals of female celebrities and leaders impacted another generation. I think this book is a must-read for managers and leaders, especially if you have younger people on your teams.
all about love: bell hooks is always required reading. This book is so beautifully written. It’s not your typical beach read, but that’s my favorite place to read this book. It’s short but packed with so many incredible nuggets. One thing about this book, is that I love reading it when I’m in different “stages”. I’ll notice something new or different about myself every few years.
If you read any of these, let me know! And share your recommendations in the comments, I’d love to hear them.
CLOSING THOUGHTS: THE WRAP UP
In the past, when my brain was spiraling I convinced myself that the only solution to my problem (overworking!) was to think harder. To work more. To prove myself. But all that led to a vicious cycle that didn’t fix the problem at all.
What helped was gaining perspective. Being reminded me there was a world beyond managing my inbox. That my thoughts weren’t facts. To get a grip (lol - it’s okay I can laugh about it now!!).
Sometimes that perspective comes from a coach.
Sometimes it comes from Beyoncé.
And sometimes….it just comes from a damn good book.
Good luck! See you next week.
Ashley
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Reframed by Ashley R. is read in 48 countries and 41 U.S. states. My posts are screenshotted, forwarded, and quoted in team meetings.
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Taking ‘Naps’ can be really helpful also…
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thomas-edisons-naps-inspire-a-way-to-spark-your-own-creativity/
Picked up Girl on Girl thanks to you!! Can't wait to read it.