Archives for July 2025

To become a leader, you must develop your character. One way to build character is to read biographies of great leaders. This method has been used for thousands of years. Plutarch, a Roman politician and historian, wrote the Parallel Lives, in which he compared the characters of Greek and Roman leaders. Some of America’s founding fathers studied that book.

Here’s a recommendation: If you are interested in business, read a biography of a successful businessman, such as Walt Disney. If you are interested in ministry, read about a missionary, such as David Livingstone or Gladys Aylward. If you are interested in science, I recommend reading about Michael Faraday. His life is a true rags-to-riches story, and he changed the world. If you like politics, it’s hard to beat George Washington and Winston Churchill. Their leadership still influences untold numbers of people.

As you read the biography, identify what the leader did well. If you observe a great habit, write it down and try to put it into practice. Note mistakes and how they were handled. Also, note vices and moral failings. (An excellent biography gives you a sense of the whole person.)

The best biographers are entertaining and accurate, revealing what their subjects were like, what they were trying to do, and how things turned out.

Churchill quite literally saved Western Civilization during World War II. His rise, fall, and rise is a fascinating story. Some consider him the greatest leader of the 20th century. I recommend reading Paul Johnson’s short biography: Churchill.

Once you start reading biographies, you might not find it easy to stop, but that’s a good thing.