As a leader, I find some of the most incredible resources in some of the most unlikely places. Most of the time, I find encouragement and new ideas in a variety of the usual ways: conferences, books on leadership, discussions with other leaders. But over the past several months, I’ve discovered a whole new treasure trove of leadership resources.

Biographies.

That’s right. The stories of other people and their lives. I am amassing quite a collection of biographical resources in my personal library.

Several years ago, one of the ministers at a church I worked with in Indiana encouraged me to read biographies. He specifically encouraged me to take a look at a certain biography of Thomas Jefferson. I can’t remember which one, or who it was by. I shrugged off his suggestion, wondering what I could possibly learn by reading about the life of someone else, other than a new perspective on history.

I wish I had paid a little more attention to his suggestion. I would be ahead by several years.

Since I stumbled into reading biographies a few years ago, my pace has picked up, and I read a half a dozen a year now, easily. I could probably state that biographies are quickly becoming my favorite genre of book to read as a leader.

From the lives of important historical persons, such as General Robert E. Lee and George Washington Carver, to more contemporary leaders, like George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, I’ve managed to stock my shelves with dozens of biographies. These books tell of the lives of leaders, of missionaries, of criminals, of martyrs, and of heroes.

I can learn about their successes, and their failures. And I can identify principles that I can apply to my life and leadership right now.

Here are some of the values I’ve discovered from biographies. These are especially pertinent to the life of the leader.

Reading biographies teaches me history

Some of the biographies I read are of currently living people. Most of the biographies I read are of people long gone. But either way, I gain specific lessons from history that I can fit into my life today. Amazingly, life is cyclic. Much of what leaders over the last few decades dealt with face leaders of today. And even leaders from centuries ago faced similar circumstances. So learning how they handled certain situations can spark creativity in my mind as I face similar situations of my own.

Reading biographies teaches me principles

When I read of the life of Charles Spurgeon, A. W. Tozer, C. S. Lewis or Jim Elliot, I see what they stood for, and how they structured their lives around those priorities. When I read other biographies, such as that of Kim Philby, I can see what not to do, what not to pursue. The morality (or immorality) of those who have gone before can be an encouragement to me as I strive to stand firm on my beliefs.

Reading biographies teaches me leadership

Reading biographies can teach me to be a better leader. Reading the stories of others can give me insights into how they led through certain situations. For example, in a biography of Abraham Lincoln, I learned how he maintained control over the Union during the Civil War, and refused to let it be divided. His leadership skills helped him to persevere and lead our nation through a very bloody and divisive period.

Reading biographies teaches me faith

Reading about the lives of others is encouraging to my own spiritual life. The biography does not have to be of a religious leader in order to pull principles for my faith out of it. I can see how I need to grow from the life of John F. Kennedy just as easily as I can from the life of John Know or John MacArthur.

Reading biographies teaches me values

As I see what was important, or what was not, to the individuals that I read about, it helps me to define my own priorities more specifically, and to stick to them as tightly as I can. When I see the moral failures of certain individuals, and the moral successes of others, it teaches me to hold on to my own values, and to stand firm on them as much as possible.

Biographies you need to read

It would be remiss of me to explain the value I find in biographies without recommending some of the best ones I’ve read in recent years. Here are few of the biographies I’ve found to be highly encouraging.

• The Jefferson Lies by David Barton
• The Journals of Jim Elliot by Elisabeth Elliot
• 7 Men by Eric Metaxas
• Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas
• Living By Revealed Truth by Tom Nettles
• Lee by John Perry
• Unshakable Faith by John Perry
• Manhunt by James L. Swanson
• Life of John Knox
• Life of John Newton

Question: Do you read biographies? What are some of the best ones that you have read? You can leave a comment by clicking here.