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Successful Leaders See Reading as a Competitive Advantage

March 2, 2026/0 Comments/in Blog/by Kevin Guest

As businesses navigate accelerating change and increased market pressure, I am spotlighting a powerful leadership tool during National Reading Month: disciplined, intentional reading.

National Reading Month, observed in March to promote literacy and lifelong learning, often emphasizes youth engagement. I believe its value extends far beyond the classroom and into the executive suite.

Reading stretches your thinking. It challenges assumptions, builds clarity, and sharpens your ability to communicate. Those are leadership skills.

While some professionals may view the heightened focus on reading as routine, I argue that the increased emphasis this month delivers measurable returns that compound over time. I call reading “essential training for the executive mind,” strengthening mental discipline, improving analytical ability, expanding imagination, and boosting memory.

One clear value of reading is that studying and internalizing principles strengthens character and changes destiny.

National Reading Month: Intentional Learning

In All the Right Reasons, I reflect on Benjamin Franklin’s commitment to tracking and living his core values. By writing, prioritizing, tracking, and clarifying his core values, Franklin came to understand them better and developed a path to integrate them into his life.

I summarize the lesson this way: I’ve learned from the Ben Franklin Principle that when you commit to living according to your core values, you change your destiny.

For me, that is the deeper return on reading. Intentional learning, reflection, and application of principles, often gained through reading and study, elevate character, sharpen decision-making, and ultimately shape long-term success.

I have embedded this philosophy into USANA’s leadership culture by highlighting the influence of Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.

The principle is: What are we doing here at USANA that makes USANA sticky? What makes people want to stay involved and stay connected? Those ideas, how do they blossom and how do they grow? Why do some survive and some don’t?

I immediately translated insight into action by asking the entire management team to read Made to Stick and decide which principles can be applied to their own areas throughout the company.

Reading is not passive consumption. It is strategic execution. The lessons from Made to Stick inform how USANA evaluates messaging, strengthens culture, and builds long-term loyalty.

Reading as a Competitive Advantage

Here are five ways reading functions as a competitive advantage for successful professionals:

Strategic foresight: Exposure to diverse ideas helps leaders identify patterns early and anticipate market shifts.
Sharper decision-making: Engaging with complex arguments improves clarity under pressure.
Cognitive resilience: Reading increases focus and strengthens composure in high-stakes moments.
Stronger communication: Consistent readers articulate vision with precision and authority.
Innovation through cross-pollination: Reading outside one’s field introduces frameworks that spark new solutions.

Reading is one of the simplest habits you can develop. But over time, it compounds. It builds perspective. It builds insight. Simply put, readers are leaders.

By elevating reading from hobby to discipline, I believe leaders strengthen their thinking, fortify their character, and position their organizations for sustained growth.

What I’m Reading

Occasionally, I’ll share thoughts on books I’ve enjoyed and found valuable.

I shared a version of this article in a news release on March 2, 2026. USANA Health Sciences, a global leader in health and wellness products, has long recognized the importance of social wellness in building a successful business. Since its founding in 1992, USANA has focused on clear, concise communication to build trust with its customers and distributors in 25 countries. For more information about USANA Health Sciences and its dedication to promoting health, wellness, and entrepreneurial success, visit USANA.com. 

Productivity Over Promises: Why Execution Is the New Leadership Currency

February 17, 2026/0 Comments/in Blog/by Kevin Guest

Economic storms have a way of clarifying what truly matters. I’ve found that when the winds of uncertainty pick up, the leaders who succeed are not the ones with the most elaborate visions. Instead, they build strong foundations and drive forward with steady, disciplined action. In today’s business climate, that lesson has returned with force.

The era of valuing promises over proof is ending. Boards and stakeholders are no longer satisfied with compelling stories; they demand tangible results, measurable output, and a clear return on investment.

With the rise of AI, the pressure is even greater for leaders to turn potential into performance. Vision still matters, but vision without execution is just a daydream. This is a fundamental shift from “what could be” to “what is being done.”

In this new paradigm, leadership currency is simple: disciplined execution.

The Farmhand and the Storm

Why should we build a solid foundation? Because storms will rage.

In my book, “All the Right Reasons,” a story is told about a farmhand who could “sleep through a storm.” His secret was simple: he had already done the hard work before the storm arrived. Everything was tied down, the animals were safe, and the firewood was stacked. Because he was prepared, he could rest with confidence.

That is what masterful execution looks like today. It is quiet preparation. It is steady discipline. It is the daily work that keeps an organization moving forward, even when no one is watching. The companies that will thrive in 2026 are not the ones talking the most about AI; they are the ones using it to make work faster, clearer, and more human by turning investment into measurable outcomes.

The Human Side of Productivity

February is often associated with kindness, connection, and relationships. That may seem far removed from conversations about productivity. But I’ve found the opposite to be true.

In the workplace, reliability is one of the purest forms of kindness. When someone keeps commitments, meets deadlines, and communicates clearly, they reduce stress for everyone around them.

Execution is not just about results. It is about respect. It shows colleagues that their time and energy matter. It creates stability and trust, especially in uncertain times. When leaders focus on execution, they give their teams clarity and confidence. That is a powerful act of service.

5 Ways to Turn Vision into Reality in 2026

Improving execution discipline requires a cultural shift that involves every team member. I’ve found five practical ways executives and colleagues can live this principle every day.

1. Build a Values-First Execution Culture

Execution starts with clarity. When an organization defines what truly matters, decisions become easier and faster. Values act as a filter for every initiative.

2. Turn Big Goals into Small, Daily Disciplines

Big visions can feel overwhelming, but the Piano Principle reminds us that dreams require sacrifice and steady effort. Break large initiatives into small, daily actions. Measure progress weekly. Momentum grows through consistent, incremental wins that drive long-term productivity.

3. Do the Hard Thing When It Is the Right Thing

Sometimes the most critical act of execution is choosing integrity over speed. I’ve seen projects scrapped because they failed quality standards. It costs more in the short term, but long-term trust always wins. Every time. Execution is integrity in action.

4. Master the Dorothy Principle: Make Relationships Your Priority

Productivity is a team sport. Strong execution depends on trust, communication, and respect. The Dorothy Principle teaches that nothing matters more than relationships. When teams connect, they collaborate better, solve conflicts faster, and go the extra mile. Foster open communication so people feel safe to speak up.

5. Practice Kindness Through Reliability

In the workplace, kindness shows up through action. It’s the leader who keeps promises, the manager who clears obstacles, and the colleague who helps others succeed. Reliability—being prepared and meeting deadlines—is one of the greatest acts of kindness. It respects others’ time and reduces stress across the team. By honoring your word with action, you show your team you care.

Leadership for All the Right Reasons

In the end, leadership is not about the speeches. It is about the example you set. People would rather see a sermon than hear one. As we move through this year, a time that often celebrates connection, the most powerful thing a leader can do is simple: deliver on your commitments. Help others succeed. Build something so solid that your team can rest easy, even when the storms come.

That is the leadership standard emerging in 2026. Not promises. Not projections. Results.

Are we connected on LinkedIn? There, I share posts about professional development skills, self-care reminders, and other relevant topics.

Self-Renewal: 6 Steps to Break Comfort Zones for Strategic Growth

February 2, 2026/0 Comments/in Blog/by Kevin Guest

As organizations face rapid market disruption and evolving leadership demands, Feb. 2 marks Self-Renewal Day, a pivotal time for business leaders to recalibrate strategies and personal development.

Growth does not happen by accident; it happens by choice. Self-Renewal Day is designed to prompt people to evaluate their lives, challenge complacency, and take deliberate steps toward personal and professional renewal.

This annual observance is a critical reminder that sustained corporate success and operational advancement begin with the individual leader’s commitment to breaking free from the status quo.

Comfort is seductive, but nothing meaningful grows there. Renewal requires movement. It requires courage. It requires choosing long-term fulfillment over short-term ease.

Self-Renewal: Realignment for Purpose

One of the most powerful examples I shared in my book, All the Right Reasons, is my decision to walk away from a lifelong dream of becoming a full-time rock musician. Music was my passion. I had talent. I had momentum. But I felt a deeper pull toward leadership, service, and building something that would impact lives at scale.

That choice was not easy. It meant letting go of an identity I loved and starting again in unfamiliar territory. It also became the turning point that led to leadership at a global company and a life aligned with deeper values.

That is self-renewal: Not reinvention for show but realignment for purpose.

I’ve learned the hardest choices are often the right ones. Renewal begins when you decide who you are becoming, not just who you have been.

In All the Right Reasons, I illustrate this principle through the “Butch O’Hare Principle,” which emphasizes that every individual has the power to change. I recount the story of Butch O’Hare, a World War II pilot who transformed from an undisciplined young man into a hero through rigorous self-discipline and a commitment to change.

This anecdote underscores a vital lesson for modern executives: transformation requires the courage to abandon familiar patterns in favor of difficult growth.

For leaders navigating complex changes, stagnation is the enemy of progress. The most successful executives are those who continuously optimize their skill sets and challenge their own assumptions. To facilitate this journey of renewal, here are six concrete steps for leaders ready to elevate their performance:

1. Conduct a Personal Audit

Write down where you are coasting. Career. Health. Relationships. Skills. Growth stalls where discomfort is avoided.

2. Reconnect to Your Core Values

Values, not ambition, should drive decisions. Start by identifying three non-negotiable principles that guide how you live and lead.

3. Make One Courageous Decision

Renewal does not require 10 changes; it requires one honest one. End something that no longer fits. Start something you have delayed, and stick with it consistently.

4. Prioritize High-Value Relationships

In All the Right Reasons, the “Dorothy Principle” states that nothing is more important than relationships. Evaluate your network. Are you surrounded by peers who challenge your thinking and drive you toward strategic alignment or those who merely echo your current views?

5. Commit to Positive Self-Talk

The “Cardboard Keyboard Principle” highlights the impact of internal dialogue. Leaders must cultivate a mindset that reinforces capability and vision, empowering them to lead teams with conviction and clarity.

6. Reframe Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to adapt and thrive amid a crisis. View setbacks as essential experiences for future decision-making, not failures.

A Way of Life

Life rewards those who act with intention. Renewal is not a one-time event. It is a way of living for all the right reasons. February 2 is the invitation. The next step is yours.

By integrating these steps, business leaders can transform Self-Renewal Day from a calendar event into a catalyst for long-term strategic growth.

It’s an opportunity to empower yourself, innovate within your role, and navigate the future with renewed purpose.

I shared a version of this article in a news release on Feb. 2, 2026. USANA Health Sciences, a global leader in health and wellness products, has long recognized the importance of social wellness in building a successful business. Since its founding in 1992, USANA has focused on clear, concise communication to build trust with its customers and distributors in 25 countries. For more information about USANA Health Sciences and its dedication to promoting health, wellness, and entrepreneurial success, visit USANA.com. 