--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reading a book about management isn't…" description: "\"Reading a book about management isn't going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar will make you a good guitarist, but it can get..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg" --- # Reading a book about management isn't going to make you a… ![“Reading a book about management isn't going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar will make you a good guitarist, but it can get you thinking about the most important concepts.” quote by Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg) > “Reading a book about management isn't going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar will make you a good guitarist, but it can get you thinking about the most important concepts.” [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading books provides ideas but does not replace hands‑on experience; practical skill requires practice beyond theory. **In simple terms:** Books give ideas, but practice builds skill. Key Takeaway Combine reading with real‑world practice. Themes learning management skill development practice theory Mood motivational pragmatic Type advisory inspirational When to use this quote - leadership training - self‑study - mentorship programs - on‑the‑job training Key Concepts experiential learning knowledge transfer continuous improvement Questions to Reflect On - What practical steps will you take after reading? - How can you test concepts in real situations? A Different Perspective Books may be outdated or not context‑specific. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Good manager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-manager/) [Guitar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitar/) [Guitarist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guitarist/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading A Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-a-book/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Reading a book about management isnt going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar will make you a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/reading-a-book-about-management-isnt-going-to-make-you-a-good-manager/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [“A good guitarist will always try to get the best out of the instrument that they are holding in their hands. The same goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-van-eck/a-good-guitarist-will-always-try-to-get-the-best-out-of-the/) André van Eck > [ \[Loco De Amor is\] a euphoric, melodic romp across the hemisphere... A joyful, fun musician's record from a really good guitarist ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-pareles/loco-de-amor-is-a-euphoric-melodic-romp-across-the-hemisphere-a/) [Jon Pareles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-pareles/) > [I bought a book with guitar tabs and forced myself to learn. I would go to school and then come home and sit in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gourley/i-bought-a-book-with-guitar-tabs-and-forced-myself-to-learn-i-would/) [John Gourley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gourley/) > [The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate me away from those who are still undecided.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-stengel/the-key-to-being-a-good-manager-is-keeping-the-people-who-hate-me/) [Casey Stengel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-stengel/) > [If you have good songs and a real desire to make music, the next thing to do, instead of approach record companies, is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-blunt/if-you-have-good-songs-and-a-real-desire-to-make-music-the-next-thing/) [James Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-blunt/) > [Being a good player doesn't necessarily make a good manager, that's for sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-zola/being-a-good-player-doesn-t-necessarily-make-a-good-manager-that-s/) [Gianfranco Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-zola/) > [A leader leads by example not by force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/a-leader-leads-by-example-not-by-force/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [It's good when a manager names his goalkeeper and backs him. That's the sort of thing you want. You want to know you've got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kasper-schmeichel/it-s-good-when-a-manager-names-his-goalkeeper-and-backs-him-that-s/) [Kasper Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kasper-schmeichel/) > [There are sometimes managers that are not good enough for some groups but there are also some groups that are not good enough for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-di-canio/there-are-sometimes-managers-that-are-not-good-enough-for-some-groups/) [Paolo di Canio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-di-canio/) > [The ability of a manager to be the driving force of a team is overrated, even when you associate historic teams (think the 1950s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-enten/the-ability-of-a-manager-to-be-the-driving-force-of-a-team-is/) [Harry Enten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-enten/) > [As a goalkeeper you need to be good at organising the people in front of you and motivating them. You need to see what's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-shilton/as-a-goalkeeper-you-need-to-be-good-at-organising-the-people-in-front/) [Peter Shilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-shilton/) > [Many of the factors that we think will cause motivation, such as fair pay and a good manager, won't make you love your job.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/many-of-the-factors-that-we-think-will-cause-motivation-such-as-fair/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Of course, when you play football yourself you can think you want to become a manager but it does not make you a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaap-stam/of-course-when-you-play-football-yourself-you-can-think-you-want-to/) [Jaap Stam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaap-stam/) > [ I don't see \[ Trainspotting \] as an albatross, I see it more as a calling card. It's got me out to Hollywood, I've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-don-t-see-trainspotting-as-an-albatross-i-see-it-more-as-a-calling/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) ## More by Drew Houston > [The only way to learn on a zero dollar budget is to talk to people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/the-only-way-to-learn-on-a-zero-dollar-budget-is-to-talk-to-people/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [You become the average of the five people you hang out with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/you-become-the-average-of-the-five-people-you-hang-out-with/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [You must maximize the probability that someone shows up at front door of your store or website and ends up with a solved problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/you-must-maximize-the-probability-that-someone-shows-up-at-front-door/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [Even if it doesn't work out, the experience is so valuable to so many employers that your worst case scenario is, 'Ok, so that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/even-if-it-doesn-t-work-out-the-experience-is-so-valuable-to-so-many/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [If you're going to go to the moon, you don't shoot the rocket right at the moon. 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The magazine stories make it sound like Mark Zuckerberg woke up one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/no-one-is-born-a-ceo-but-no-one-tells-you-that-the-magazine-stories/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [Learn early, learn often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/learn-early-learn-often/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [One of the great things about moving to Silicon Valley is that you're surrounded by all these people who've done it before. This place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/one-of-the-great-things-about-moving-to-silicon-valley-is-that-you-re/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [Where you live matters: there's only one MIT. And there's only one Hollywood and only one Silicon Valley. This isn't a coincidence: for whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/where-you-live-matters-there-s-only-one-mit-and-there-s-only-one/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [Dropbox is my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/dropbox-is-my-life/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) > [When you’re in school, every little mistake is a permanent crack in your windshield. 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What you should be doing is getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/if-you-have-a-dream-you-can-spend-a-lifetime-studying-planning-and/) [Drew Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) [Explore all 47 Drew Houston quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) Browse all 26,122 About quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reading a book about management isn't going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar will make you a good guitarist, but it can get you thinking about the most important concepts.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Drew Houston" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-going-to-make-you-a-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-going-to-make-you-a-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a0/drew-houston-14131_about_reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-go_2879641.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reading a book about management isn't going to make you a good manager any more than a book about guitar…” — Drew Houston", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Drew Houston", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-houston/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Reading a book about management isn't...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-going-to-make-you-a-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-houston/reading-a-book-about-management-isn-t-going-to-make-you-a-good/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```