Here are five ways to thrive as a leader:

1. Leaders are readers

If you can learn to read, you can read to learn. What's on your reading list? Elon Musk, Warren Buffett and Mary Barra are all prolific readers.

Reading builds cognitive skills, problem solving and creativity -- all of which are essential in a fast-changing world. It can also provide new insights and fresh perspectives that help fuel your talent's growth.

Try the Get Abstract app. It provides five-page executive summaries of books and is a go-to learning tool among successful entrepreneurs.

2. Never eat alone

When's the last time you had lunch with someone and learned something new? To learn fast, you must build up smart networks of thinkers and doers who you can tap during your career. Networks give you access, insight and influence.

Likewise, if you're not connected to the right minds it's much more difficult to learn. You become an outsider. 9others is a business that knows that learning happens when humans connect and exchange ideas.

It was founded on the belief that "your success requires the aid of others." A host and nine others will meet for an informal dinner to mingle, discuss challenges, and share experiences. It already has a network of more than 3,500 members in 33 cities and is leading the way with a more intelligent approach to networking.

3. Get a mentor to raise your game

Why learn from your own mistakes when you can learn from someone else's? Good mentors can raise your game, improve confidence and open doors to fast-track your business. In simple terms, a mentor is like a critical friend with life experience. It's a respected person who's probably achieved a high level of professional success in their field and is a role model who will guide you on your journey.

We all need a gentle push sometimes to think bigger. It's all too easy to end up listening to the little man, that voice in your head that says, 'I'm not good enough', 'I can't do it' and 'it won't work'. The technical term for this state of mind is "self-imposter syndrome," and it can derail your prospects faster than the blink of an eye.

4. Fail fast to learn fast

Learning by doing is probably the most powerful way to grow. You are bound to fail occasionally. In failure are life's little secrets. For instance, you can't learn to ride a bike by reading how to ride one.

The inventor, James Dyson produced more than 5,000 failed prototypes before he invented his bestselling Dyson air vacuum. Embrace failure as your biggest teacher. It's a vital part of the process of growing as a human being. A real failure is when you make a mistake and don't fix it quickly and start over.

The formula for success isn't a mystery. It's a conscious choice to learn from failure. Each wrong choice builds character and strengthens your mindset for the next challenge.

5. Launch your superpowers

Today's problems can't be solved with yesterday's thinking. It's time to launch your superpowers, and that starts with continuous learning. Thinkers50 founders Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove, are on a mission to reinvent management education and have launched a bold new executive MBA where you will learn from the finest thinkers in the world.

Details of the Thinkers50 EMBA can be found at https://www.ncflm.org/thinkers50-executive-mba/

Summary:

Be the leader you wished for. What will you do today that your future self will thank you for?

This content has been created by authors in their personal capacity. Any views, thoughts and opinions expressed belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pearson.