The Reading Strategy That Builds Real Influence

In partnership with

You know you’re smart.

You know your field well.
You stay current with industry trends.
You read the reports that matter for your work.

But somehow, you're not building the kind of influence you want.

Opportunities aren't flowing your way. People aren't seeking your perspectives on big-picture issues.

Meanwhile, some experts seem to effortlessly command attention.

They make unexpected connections.
They see patterns others miss.
They get invited to conversations that matter.

What's their secret?

Here's what most experts miss: Your reading diet determines your influence range.

Read narrowly, influence narrowly.
Read broadly, influence broadly.

But… The experts building real influence aren't trying to read everything. They're getting more value from what they do read.

When I Realized My Reading Was Too Small

It’s been a few years now, but there was a time I felt stuck in what seemed like an influence plateau.

I knew my field well.
Read every industry publication.
Attended all the right conferences.

But my insights felt incremental. My recommendations, while solid, weren't opening new doors.

Then I attended a meeting where the expert before me had blown everyone away. Not with deeper domain expertise - I actually knew more about their specific problem than she did.

But she'd connected their challenge to principles from behavioral psychology, lessons from the airline industry, and research on team dynamics in sports.

Her recommendations weren't just right - they were unexpected and memorable.

Same problem.
Completely different perspective.

That's when I realized: I'd been reading to confirm what I already knew instead of reading to expand my thinking to make unexpected connections.

My reading diet was 90% industry-specific content. But worse, I wasn't even getting the full value from that 90%.

Experts who make unexpected connections and build influence tend to approach reading similarly, using what I call the READ framework.

The READ Framework: Strategic Knowledge Extraction

Read stands for:

R - Read Across Strategic Domains
E - Extract Maximum Value from Every Source
A - Apply Insights to Your Context
D - Develop Your Reading System

Let’s get it…

R - Read Across Strategic Domains

Strategic domain selection:

• Adjacent fields: Industries that serve your audience or face similar challenges

• Solution domains: Fields that have solved problems you're trying to solve

• Framework fields: Areas with interesting mental models you could adapt

• Curiosity zones: Topics that genuinely interest you (passion leads to better retention)

You don't need to read everything. You need to read strategically and extract deeply.

If you're in software development, choose manufacturing (systems thinking), hospitality (user experience), or sports coaching (team performance). Don't try to read all three - pick one and go deep.

E - Extract Maximum Value from Every Source

Deep extraction questions:

• "What's the core principle here that could apply elsewhere?"

• "What assumption are they making that my field doesn't make?"

• "What problem-solving method are they using that I could adapt?"

• "How does this connect to something else I've read?"

Value maximization techniques:

• Take notes on transferable patterns, not just facts

• Identify underlying frameworks you could use

• Look for principles that challenge your current thinking

• Connect new information to previous insights

Instead of rushing to the next article, spend time thinking deeply about what you just read. One insight fully developed beats ten insights barely remembered.

A - Apply Insights to Your Context

Application approaches:

• Direct transfer: "This framework works exactly as is"

• Modified adaptation: "This approach needs these adjustments for our context"

• Principle borrowing: "The underlying logic solves our different problem"

• Conversation starter: "This perspective from X field might change how we think about Y"

Testing applications:

• Reference cross-domain insights in meetings

• Use frameworks from other fields to analyze current challenges

• Propose solutions that borrow from unexpected sources

• Share interesting connections you've made

You don't need to have read everything to contribute valuable perspectives. Use what you've read to the fullest.

D - Develop Your Reading System

Sustainable reading portfolio:

• 50% core domain (maintain expertise)

• 30% adjacent domains (expand relevance)

• 20% distant fields (spark unexpected connections)

Quality over quantity system (These 4 have become a habit of mine.):

• Capture method: Save key insights, not just sources

• Connection practice: Link new information to previous reading

• Regular review: Revisit and connect insights weekly

• Active application: Use insights in real conversations and decisions

Focus on extracting maximum value from what you choose to read rather than worrying about what you're not reading. The goal isn't to read everything - it's to think about everything you read.

POLL

In Case You Missed It!

• Scattered Goals Are Killing Your Influence

• Someone at Work Is Playing Games with You

• Grab your Pocket Guide to Impromptu Conversations
  (Essential questions and cues to connect quickly—without sounding rehearsed)

The Bottom Line

Your reading diet determines your influence range.

The goal isn't to read everything. It's to extract maximum value from what you do read.

The experts building broad influence aren't the ones who've read the most. They're the ones who think most deeply about what they have read.

Stop lamenting what you haven't read. Start maximizing what you have.

Thanks for reading. Be easy!
Girvin