---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: More and more I'm finding that I'm…"
description: "\"More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm reading biography, I'm reading autobiography for a sense of people who've been able to provide ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png"
---

#  More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm…

![“More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm reading biography, I'm reading autobiography for a sense of people who've been able to provide leadership. I don't read leadership books anymore.” quote by John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png)

> “More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm reading biography, I'm reading autobiography for a sense of people who've been able to provide leadership. I don't read leadership books anymore.”

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Learning from real people’s lives offers practical leadership insights beyond theory.

**In simple terms:** Read biographies for leadership lessons.

Key Takeaway

Seek role models in real stories.

Themes

leadership learning experience role models biography

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

educational thought‑provoking

When to use this quote

- career development
- team management
- strategic planning
- mentoring

Key Concepts

narrative learning historical perspective

Questions to Reflect On

- Which historical figure inspires your leadership style?
- How can you apply a biography lesson today?

A Different Perspective

Biographies may oversimplify complex leadership contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Biography Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biography-reading-1850473/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-reading-702739/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Read Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-leadership-1850471/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Autobiography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-autobiography-1850472/) [Reading history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-history/)

## Related quotes

> [The most obvious answer, that you can read in any leadership book is this - learn to say "no" so that you can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-apteker/the-most-obvious-answer-that-you-can-read-in-any-leadership-book-is/)

[Ronnie Apteker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-apteker/)

> [I knew Gandhi only as a freedom fighter. It is only after reading his autobiography that I realized what a man he was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-hattangadi/i-knew-gandhi-only-as-a-freedom-fighter-it-is-only-after-reading-his/)

[Rohini Hattangadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-hattangadi/)

> [You can learn as much about the history from reading about the present as you can vice versa, that is learning about the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-burns/you-can-learn-as-much-about-the-history-from-reading-about-the/)

[Ken Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-burns/)

> [“Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-freedom-to-read-statement/now-as-always-in-our-history-reading-is-among-our-greatest-freedoms/)

[The Freedom to Read Statement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-freedom-to-read-statement/)

> [I did indulge myself in a lot of history reading, to inform myself as to who the real woman was. As far as other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/i-did-indulge-myself-in-a-lot-of-history-reading-to-inform-myself-as/)

[Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/)

> [On my reading of history people who want to bring us the best are usually the people we ought to be afraid of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-jamieson/on-my-reading-of-history-people-who-want-to-bring-us-the-best-are/)

[Dale Jamieson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-jamieson/)

> [I was not a great student at the University of Chicago. I think that is - the record will bare me out. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/i-was-not-a-great-student-at-the-university-of-chicago-i-think-that/)

[Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/)

> [Reading history, one rarely gets the feeling of the true nature of scientific development, in which the element of farce is as great as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gross/reading-history-one-rarely-gets-the-feeling-of-the-true-nature-of/)

[David Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gross/)

> [Reading history while you make history can teach you a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/reading-history-while-you-make-history-can-teach-you-a-lot/)

[George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/)

> [I'm tired of reading about history, I want to make it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-savio/i-m-tired-of-reading-about-history-i-want-to-make-it/)

[Mario Savio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-savio/)

> [My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/my-reading-of-history-convinces-me-that-most-bad-government-results/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [I am not a historian, but I find myself being more and more fascinated by history and now I find myself reading more and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-am-not-a-historian-but-i-find-myself-being-more-and-more-fascinated/)

[Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/)

> [After all my years of playing soldiers, and then of reading History, I have almost a mania to be in the East, to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-owen/after-all-my-years-of-playing-soldiers-and-then-of-reading-history-i/)

[Wilfred Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-owen/)

> [But really, for me, I tried to find first-person accounts. I tried to read stories from men and women who had survived slavery because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett/but-really-for-me-i-tried-to-find-first-person-accounts-i-tried-to/)

[Jurnee Smollett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett/)

> [“One of the chief values reading history, this is the author, is its capacity to "provoke renegade thoughts".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-roberts/one-of-the-chief-values-reading-history-this-is-the-author-is-its/)

[Andrew Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-roberts/)

## More by John P. Kotter

> [At any one time the world has a very limited number of Steve Jobs or Winston Churchills or Thomas Watson the firsts. These are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/at-any-one-time-the-world-has-a-very-limited-number-of-steve-jobs-or/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [In a change effort, culture comes last, not first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/in-a-change-effort-culture-comes-last-not-first/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Motivation is not a thinking word; it's a feeling word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/motivation-is-not-a-thinking-word-it-s-a-feeling-word/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [One of the most common ways to overcome resistance to change is to educate people about it beforehand. Communication of ideas helps people see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/one-of-the-most-common-ways-to-overcome-resistance-to-change-is-to/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Producing major change in an organization is not just about signing up one charismatic leader. You need a group - a team - to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/producing-major-change-in-an-organization-is-not-just-about-signing/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Congress is full of people who get reelected and reelected. How can you have urgency when there are all of those safe seats?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/congress-is-full-of-people-who-get-reelected-and-reelected-how-can/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Commercial organisations that operate responsibly have benefitted by increased revenues of 682% compared to 166% for those that don't](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/commercial-organisations-that-operate-responsibly-have-benefitted-by/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [I am often asked about the difference between 'change management' and 'change leadership,' and whether it's just a matter of semantics. These terms are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/i-am-often-asked-about-the-difference-between-change-management-and/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Leadership defines what the future should look like, aligns people with that vision, and inspires them to make it happen despite the obstacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/leadership-defines-what-the-future-should-look-like-aligns-people/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Over the years I have become convinced that we learn best - and change - from hearing stories that strike a chord within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/over-the-years-i-have-become-convinced-that-we-learn-best-and-change/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [What's really driving the boom in coaching, is this: as we move from 30 miles an hour to 70 to 120 to 180…as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/what-s-really-driving-the-boom-in-coaching-is-this-as-we-move-from-30/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [In terms of getting people to experiment more and take more risk, there are at least three things that immediately come to my mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/in-terms-of-getting-people-to-experiment-more-and-take-more-risk/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Great communicators have an appreciation for positioning. They understand the people they're trying to reach and what they can and can't hear. They send…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/great-communicators-have-an-appreciation-for-positioning-they/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [We worry about appearing awkward in a presentation. But up to a point, most people seem to feel more comfortable with less-than-perfect speaking abilities.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/we-worry-about-appearing-awkward-in-a-presentation-but-up-to-a-point/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

> [Kotter International is about leading large-scale change, not just managing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/kotter-international-is-about-leading-large-scale-change-not-just/)

[John P. Kotter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

[Explore all 85 John P. Kotter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/)

## More Books quotes

> [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/)

[Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/)

> [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/)

[Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/)

> [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/)

[Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/)

> [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/)

[Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/)

> [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/)

[Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/)

> [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/)

[Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/)

> [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/)

[Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/)

> [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/)

[Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/)

[Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/)

[Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/)

> [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/)

[Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/)

[Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm reading biography, I'm reading autobiography for a sense of people who've been able to provide leadership. I don't read leadership books anymore.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John P. Kotter"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-reading-history-i-m-reading/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Books"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-reading-history-i-m-reading/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82d/john-p-kotter-7969_books_more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-readi_2589698.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“More and more I'm finding that I'm reading history, I'm reading biography, I'm reading autobiography for a…” — John P. Kotter",
                "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": "John P. Kotter",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-p-kotter/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "More and more I'm finding that...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-reading-history-i-m-reading/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-p-kotter/more-and-more-i-m-finding-that-i-m-reading-history-i-m-reading/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
