Social Media Roundup: What Fiction Teaches About Success

Bored with traditional leadership books? Select the right genre 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) book & read fiction for lasting lessons @fastcolead  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/UFbkmDEAyy  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab) #hrchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Jay S Daughtry M.Ed. (@ChatterBachs) June 17, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

Change the plot of your success. In an article for Fast Company  (opens in a new tab), 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))

Process vs. Purpose

Focus on breaking the ice, not the icebreaker by @jcufaude  (opens in a new tab) http://t.co/ADCPAJ3Rse  (opens in a new tab) #pcma  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— Dave Lutz (@VelChain) June 17, 2013  (opens in a new tab)

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). 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))

Have you broken the ice lately? Share your thoughts in the comments.

(iStockphoto/Thinkstock)