--- title: "Social Media Roundup: What Fiction Teaches About Success" id: "17974" type: "post" slug: "social-media-roundup-what-fiction-teaches-about-success" published_at: "2013-06-17T22:05:04+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:01:56+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/06/17/social-media-roundup-what-fiction-teaches-about-success/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/06/17/social-media-roundup-what-fiction-teaches-about-success.md" excerpt: "Discover valuable long-lasting lessons of success by swapping out leadership books for fiction books. Also: Engage your audience by breaking the ice, not the ice breaker." taxonomy_category: - "Learning" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "E-learning" - "fiction" - "Leadership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Director" - "Executive Team" - "Manager" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Social Media Roundup: What Fiction Teaches About Success Bored with traditional leadership books? Select the rightgenre of fiction, and you might walk away with life-changing lessons. See what fiction teaches us about success, and more, in today’s Social Media Roundup: ### Think Fast, Make Decisions > Put down that [#leadership (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/leadership?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > book & read fiction for lasting lessons [@fastcolead (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/FastCoLead?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [http://t.co/UFbkmDEAyy (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/UFbkmDEAyy) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#hrchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/hrchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Jay S Daughtry M.Ed. (@ChatterBachs) [June 17, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/ChatterBachs/status/346659559873597440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Change the plot of your success.**In an article for *[Fast Company (opens in a new tab)](http://www.fastcompany.com/3013003/dialed/a-leadership-book-author-on-why-youre-better-off-reading-fiction-for-lasting-lessons)*, Craig Chappelow shares his insights on why leaders should read more fiction to be successful, noting that fiction can influence the way leaders approach decision-making and connecting with people. Ken Grimwood’s *Replay*, Chappelow writes, taught him this: “Tomorrow is not a promise, and we have today to act. If you have something to say to somebody, say it.” Whether you have a decision to make or thoughts to share, it’s important to advance the plot and take action—not tomorrow, but today. *(ht @[ChatterBachs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/ChatterBachs/status/346659559873597440) )* ### Process vs. Purpose > Focus on breaking the ice, not the icebreaker by [@jcufaude (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jcufaude?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [http://t.co/ADCPAJ3Rse (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/ADCPAJ3Rse) > [#pcma (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/pcma?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Dave Lutz (@VelChain) [June 17, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/VelChain/status/346649138584248320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Conference organizers and meeting leaders** sometimes lose track of the real reasoning behind icebreakers. “An icebreaker is not something a presenter or meeting convener should do to participants for his or her edification. It should be a purposeful activity done for or with the participants for their benefit and application,” [writes Idea Architects’ Jeffrey Cufaude (opens in a new tab)](http://www.ideaarchitects.org/2013/06/focus-on-breaking-ice-not-icebreaker.html?spref=tw) . By approaching each group of participants differently, organizers can get to the root of engaging each particular audience instead of using cheesy icebreakers that don’t serve the purpose at hand. *(ht @[VelChain (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/VelChain/status/346649138584248320) )* Have you broken the ice lately? Share your thoughts in the comments. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock) [Jasmine McGee](https://associationsnow.com/author/jasmine-mcgee/) Jasmine McGee is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/jasmine-mcgee/) Tags: [#E-learning](https://associationsnow.com/tag/e-learning/) [#fiction](https://associationsnow.com/tag/fiction/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoAmerican College of Emergency Physicians: ACEP Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation ProgramSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/american-college-of-emergency-physicians-acep-geriatric-emergency-department-accreditation-program/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents Practical AI-How Associations Are Putting It To WorkJanuary 29, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/01/29/associations-now-presents-practical-ai-how-associations-are-putting-it-to-work/) - [PodcastWhy Associations Must Rethink Learning and Community TogetherMarch 26, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/03/26/why-associations-must-rethink-learning-and-community-together/) - [TemplateMembers onlyMember Onboarding ToolkitNovember 5, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/11/05/member-onboarding-toolkit/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2013%2F06%2F17%2Fsocial-media-roundup-what-fiction-teaches-about-success%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !