Few of the entrepreneurs I know read much.

If you ask them about it, they will tell you that they just don't have the time. What little time they have outside of their businesses they tend to spend with their families, running personal errands or catching up around their homes. Sure, they may thumb through a few business magazines from time to time, but expecting them to take the time to regularly read business books would be ... well ... absurd.

Until recently, that's what I thought, too. While I have always managed to find the time to watch the latest TiVo-ed episode of a favorite television show or two, I could never find time to read. I have even had a few mentors proclaim the great value they find in reading good books, but their proclamations have fallen on deaf ears.

But I have turned over a new leaf. I made the decision to begin to read more consistently, and I have asked many of our employees to do the same. I had the members of one team that I lead suggest the books that we are now reading as a group. In a sense, I have created a business book club within our organization and have found that it has had some amazing results, both personally and companywide.

Reading has ignited creativity, often in unexpected ways. Taking the time to consider what the author is suggesting usually stimulates ideas that are beyond the scope of the book. I begin to think in new ways, applying new concepts to our specific business. This thinking lasts far beyond my reading time. I find my brain churning on ideas when I am driving, getting ready in the morning or falling asleep at night.

The real power of this, however, is that many of our employees are doing the same thing. Then as we get together for about an hour a week, we discuss these ideas and begin to share best practices. The employees are educating themselves and coming up with better ideas for how to go about their daily work. When we hit upon a best practice idea, we quickly make an assignment to try that which we have learned. Of course, either our managers or I follow up on those assignments, which creates accountability and employee follow-through.

Once we have discussed some of these best-practice gems in a formal setting, I have noticed that the employees who have been part of the discussion begin to chat informally with each other about ideas, or they follow up with each other on the assignments. So, once again, the thinking goes well beyond the actual time spent in the book.

Obviously, the book selection can be very strategic. If you have a particular issue that you are dealing with in your organization, I promise a book has been written about it. Think about the power of having your employees all focusing on the same issue at the same time through reading and open discussion. Telling your employees that there is a better way to do something may or may not actually get them to improve, but encouraging them to personally derive a better solution will actually foster improvement. Engaging them in reading will promote this.

Believe me, I know that your time is precious. But I think reading is one area where you might find a positive return on your time. Make it a part of your workday.

Once you start, I think you will find reading to be such a benefit to your business that the idea of not reading consistently will suddenly seem ... well ... absurd.