Top 10 Most Read Blog PostsYesterday, I highlighted my least read posts that were written in 2011, so it is only fair to highlight the most read ones, too! Each of the posts outlined below were written in 2011 and received the highest traffic, according to Google Analytics.

Here is the list of the most read posts of 2011:

  1. What Happens After a Leadership Summit
  2. Life Reverberates Like a Dandelion Blowing in the Wind
  3. Pace Yourself
  4. Freedom from / Freedom to
  5. Lead from the Middle: The 9 New, New Leadership Principles
  6. Life Isn’t a Journey. Life Is a Warrior Dash.
  7. The Jim Tressel Leadership Lesson
  8. Moving Ideas
  9. What Are Your Core Beliefs?
  10. Do You Make People Better?

Here are my thoughts on these.

The biggest surprises on the list are Life Reverberates Like a Dandelion Blowing in the Wind and Pace Yourself. I would not have guessed either of these posts would have made this list.

The biggest un-surprises are What Happens After a Leadership Summit and Moving Ideas. The first one was picked up by the Willow Creek blog, so the traffic came through. The second one was part of my role as a co-host in a monthly #ideachat, so there was a natural audience for the post.

The most satisfying ones are Do You Make People Better? and Life Isn’t a Journey. Life is a Warrior Dash. To my very core, I strongly believe in the messages in these two posts, so I am glad that came through.

The most rewarding ones are Lead from the Middle: The 9 New, New Leadership Principles and The Jim Tressel Leadership Lesson. I have tried to focus on personal leadership in several of my posts this past year, so it is good to see some of it resonating.

From this analysis, my lessons are that the 5Ps of writing matter. I just devised the 5Ps based on this review, so stay with me here! These elements may have been said many times before, but it really strikes home when I look at these top posts.

Here’s my reasoning behind the 5Ps:

  1. Passion – Each of the top 10 posts were written with a certain amount of internal fire. I still remember my mindset when I wrote these, and I feel that spirit kindling again when I re-read them.
  2. Personal – Many of my top 10 posts had a personal angle. Experiences need to come through as part of the story being told.
  3. Purposeful – There needs to be a purpose behind the writing. Passion without purpose may not lead to action, so there needs to be a reason why the words come together.
  4. Philosophy – What is the philosophy behind the message? It could be principles or values, but I like to think of it as a philosophy behind the blog posts.
  5. Peers – Some of the more successful posts are that way because of peer involvement. It is through sharing and having conversations. Peers or partners, it is a community that helps make your writing gel and come alive.

I have learned a great deal this past year, and I am very grateful for the people who come here to read, interact, and share. Your insights inspire me. Thank you.

To this community and all who pass through here, I wish you the best in 2012! May you lead by making good choices, acting with spirit, and living meaningfully!

 

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