by ABFRLadmin | May 7, 2025
Let’s face it – when we think of great leadership, we usually picture vision boards, strategy sessions, and maybe a few TED Talks. Not someone curled up with a novel, lost in a made-up world.
But here’s the twist: fiction might be one of the most powerful, science-backed tools for becoming a better, more emotionally intelligent leader. Yes, really.
In a world obsessed with optimization, fiction asks us to slow down. To feel. To imagine. And in doing so, it builds the exact muscles every great leader needs: empathy, perspective, creative thinking, and deep human connection.
So, grab your favourite coffee (or chai) and let’s dive into why your next leadership upgrade might come from the pages of a story.
Let’s start with the science. A 2013 study published in Science magazine made headlines for proving what many bookworms have long suspected: reading literary fiction increases your Theory of Mind – the ability to understand others’ beliefs, desires, and emotions.
Translation? Reading fiction makes you better at reading people.
And that’s not just great for book clubs – it’s a game-changer in boardrooms. Leaders with high emotional intelligence build stronger teams, resolve conflict more effectively, and create cultures of trust. In a high-pressure corporate world, the ability to truly understand and connect with others isn’t optional – it’s essential.
The beauty of fiction is that it doesn’t lecture you about empathy – it immerses you in it. You don’t just read about a struggling entrepreneur – you become them. You don’t observe a moral dilemma from the outside – you live it. And over time, that shapes how you lead in the real world.
Business books are great at offering frameworks. But fiction? Fiction shows you the messy middle—the grey zones where there are no easy answers.
Think about it. Most novels are built on complexity. Characters are flawed. Choices are hard. Outcomes are unpredictable.
That’s exactly the kind of thinking today’s leaders need. Because real-life leadership isn’t a multiple-choice quiz—it’s a constantly shifting landscape. Fiction hones your ability to sit with ambiguity, to consider multiple perspectives, and to make decisions that balance heart and head.
In other words, fiction strengthens your cognitive flexibility—the mental agility to adapt, evolve, and stay human through it all.
Every powerful leader is, at heart, a great storyteller.
Whether you’re presenting a new vision, rallying a team, or having a tough conversation—how you say something often matters more than what you say. Fiction doesn’t just tell stories—it teaches you how to feel them. And the more you absorb good storytelling, the more it shapes your own communication style.
You start to understand pacing. You pay attention to tone. You learn to read the room—not just the words.
Want to inspire action? Change minds? Spark belief? Fiction helps you get there—not with scripts, but with soul.
One of the most beautiful things about fiction is that it lets you walk through worlds far beyond your own.
From Nigerian family dramas to dystopian sci-fi, fiction allows you to see through the eyes of people you’ve never met – and maybe never will. That matters deeply for leadership.
Because inclusive leadership begins with curiosity. The kind that asks: What’s it like to be you? Fiction helps you lead not just with diversity checklists, but with lived empathy. You begin to recognize nuance, honour experiences different from your own, and build cultures where everyone feels seen.
In short: fiction helps you lead people, not just projects.
You don’t need to read a book a week or dust off your old English lit degree. Even small shifts make a big difference. Try this:
Reading fiction isn’t about checking a box. It’s about feeding your leadership soul.
We live in a world where data is everywhere—but meaning is rare. Where productivity is praised, but presence is undervalued. Where we’re expected to lead teams through uncertainty while staying grounded and human.
And that’s exactly where fiction steps in.
Fiction teaches us to feel. To slow down. To imagine better worlds, and then go out and build them. It reminds us that leadership isn’t just about KPIs and growth curves—it’s about people, their stories, and the way we show up for them. (There is beauty in imperfection, learning to appreciate it)
So, if you’re looking to become a better leader? Don’t just pick up the next how-to guide. Reach for a novel. The kind that stirs something in you.
Because sometimes, the most powerful leadership lessons don’t come from a manual.
They come from a story that changes the way you see the world.
