Alecia Huck's Transformative Quest With Books
Growth. Expansion. Transformation.
These are among the pillars that define Alecia Huck.
As the founder of the business growth consulting company Maverick and Company, she helps navigate business leaders through major changes, an arduous process, particularly during the pandemic fueled times we’re currently facing.
Huck describes herself as “50% bulldog and 50% cheerleader,” a bit of an odd duck who possesses expertise in both human behavior and process science.
As she says on her website:
“I understand the way people and systems are intertwined, the way they can mess the other up or help make each other great. I like the puzzle and pressure of fast-growing companies and working with the kind of people who build them.”
Huck notes that she’s worked with some pretty amazing people over the years in a wide array of industries and stages of development. She helps clients discover ways to have those inevitable hard conversations with both business insiders and political leaders
She says:
“I work with smart, capable leaders dealing with problems beyond their scope or experience or capacity. They are leaders who are up to something...out to build great companies, leaders and communities, change the world or just their little corner of it. It's a privilege to know them and be a part of what they build.”
Huck attributes a great deal of her savvy and expertise to her passion for books. Here’s at “Great Books, Great Minds” we recently had a chance to interview Huck about her reading habits and interests and how they have contributed to her success
What were some of the early influences that sparked your passion for books and reading?
I was probably 5 when I first began learning to read. I remember getting three-fourths of the way through a book in first grade before I realized it was a dictionary. I then started gobbling up all the books I could find. Even now I can't say quite why I took to it as I did.
When did you begin to fully grasp the importance of reading?
Even at a young age, I recognized that books could help you understand people and the world that you don't know, while simultaneously making more sense of the one you were in. Then, as is the case now, books are magical. It really is extraordinary how you can pick up a book, see ink scratches on paper and know how someone thought and felt hundreds of years ago, across the world and across time.
I read somewhere where you mentioned books are “a great tool for training one’s mind and brain.” Can you elaborate on this point?
Whenever you read something over and over again, those words become new neural pathways for your brain. We know that brains grow and change through a concept called neuroplasticity. But most people don't take advantage of this ability.
Can you elaborate on this a bit more?
Sure. When you select or create, something to read those models the way you want to think, you can actually use it as a tool to begin thinking that way. My first sales job included reading Scroll #3 from Og Mandino's The Greatest Salesman in the World. It's a piece about persistence. I can still repeat the first few lines. And to this day it still informs how I see the world, for the better.
What is your all-time favorite book?
It’s impossible to name just one. I will say that the “Book Thief” is one of the most moving, most brilliant books I've ever read. World War Z (which isn't at all like the movie of the same name) is an epic masterpiece. Forget about the zombies and read it to think more deeply about how different cultures think, to learn great lessons about leadership, and to examine who you are and are not at the level of survival.
What about a book(s) that you tried to read and just couldn’t get into?
I can almost name every book I started and didn't finish. I think there are 2 of them. It’s in my nature to slog through some pretty bad writing just to finish. The Shadow of the Wind is currently sitting unfinished on my nightstand. The story is interesting but moves slow. All in all, I typically finish books within 24 hours of starting them if it's fiction.
What is your preference, traditional hardback/paperback, digital (Kindle) books, and/or audiobooks?
During the pandemic, I've been reading electronic copies since they're slightly less expensive and I can get them instantly. But in general, I'm old school. For me, there's a very real tactile pleasure in holding a physical book. And I definitely prefer reading over listening.
Describe what it would be like to wander through a bookstore or library with you. What three sections would you visit first?
I always check out the business section before I leave the store but I'm instantly drawn to whatever new fiction they're promoting in the isles. It's so interesting to read the titles and plots. I love just reading the titles and wondering if the book inside matches them, why that title was chosen, and marveling over the great, compelling writing you can find in just those few words.
Any other sections?
I'll also cruise the paperback mysteries and even romances for what I call "sugar books." The kind people tend to look down on but are so enjoyable. And they’re sometimes surprisingly insightful and well-written.
What is your favorite place to shelter away and read?
Nothing in the world compares to a rainy or snowy day spent reading in a big cozy bed.
What books are on your reading list for the remainder of 2020?
I'm currently reading Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson. Creativity, Inc by Ed Catmull is next on my list. Just working my way through books about good ideas right now. I’ve also got a "stack" of paperback fiction I'll finish this summer. And with any luck, I'll bump into some actual literature to get lost in too.
Any closing thoughts?
Honestly, it gets harder every year to find AMAZING books. I blame the fact that I've read so much already. So many plots feel overdone. But when you do find one, it's magic. So the hunt continues.