Robin Rand
Leading with Honor by Lee Ellis
Each chapter is divided into two sections, first courageous lessons from prisoner of war (POW) leaders facing torture in the crucible of captivity; then the second section is the “so what”… How successful teams can apply these lessons and principles, i.e., how to implement these lessons using the coaching sessions provided in each chapter.
When Lee wrote this book it was not fashionable to write this way, he was the first. We all love a good war story, and he has good war stories, but he offers practical, learnable techniques on how we can teach, coach, and lead better. I gave this book to every incoming commander and Chief in my last three commands, as well as to every civilian supervisor who has worked for me since I left the Air Force. Ideal for C-Suite leaders and below!
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Matt Weinshel
Leading Up: How to Lead Your Boss So You Both Win by Michael Useem and James Lurie
This book lays out how to influence in leadership, to include one’s boss, where a leader can drive toward the success of the greater organization.
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Chris Craige
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara.
A Pulitzer Prize winning novel that tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg. While this may be a non-traditional "leadership" book - it conveys the times and decisions from multiple military leader perspectives. A fascinating time in our nation's history, Shaara weaves in impactful leadership styles and cues and provides a compelling and reflective story on humanity.
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Larry Getz
Tribe by Sebastian Junger
We all understand that being on a team can be a positive and meaningful experience and leaders should spend much of their time building that team in which we trust each other and work towards a common goal. However, this book will give the reader a better understanding of how powerful connection and belonging are to us as human beings. Building connections and teamwork may become your number one priority as a leader after reading this book.
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Kelly Evans
It Worked For Me by Colin Powell
Life and Leadership Lessons that shaped the legendary career of four-star General and Secretary of State Colin Powell…an inspirational blueprint for aspiring and seasoned leaders.
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John Novalis
Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra
Ibarra's book has three basic premises: 1. Redefine your job in order to make more strategic contributions; 2. Diversify your network so that you connect to, and learn from, a bigger range of stakeholders; 3. Become more playful with your self-concept...leaders must know how to balance their lives to make better leadership contributions for themselves and the organization.
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Dirk Smith
Meta Leadership: A Framework for Building Leadership Effectiveness by Dr Leonard J Marcus, Dr Berry C Dorn, Joseph Henderson and Eric J McNulty
I found that quite often informal leadership skills are more valuable than those that are hinged upon hierarchical or authoritative leadership. This is especially true during crisis or times of ambiguity. I have offered this piece as a model for countless students and colleagues interested in their own development.
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Jacob Werksman
The Lakota Way by Joseph Marshall
An incredible read for depth of thought, revisiting your values, being a great human being, and the power of storytelling. I read this book every couple of years to ground myself in simple, yet traditional wisdom from a culture I greatly admire, the Native Americans.
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Shawn Campbell
The Essential Wooden: A Lifetime of Lessons on Leaders and Leadership by John Wooden and Steve Jamison.
Coach John Wooden is one of the best-ever college men's basketball coaches, leading UCLA to ten NCAA Championships in just twelve years. What is far and away more important than on-court success to Coach Wooden, was teaching his players essential lessons on becoming leaders in their personal and professional lives. This is go-to resource with vignettes applicable to scores of leadership challenges and opportunities.
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Chris Brown
Honors Reward by John Bevere
“The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.” - John Wooden
The character and behavior traits addressed and emphasized in Honors Reward are at a level that most will never live by. But for those leaders who embrace them, the influence and impact they will make will be far beyond what most will ever achieve.
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Lauren Crandall-Liska
Winning! By Clive Woodward
A great sports autobiography that depicts the planning, preparation, and sacrifice needed to overcome challenges and lead a team to greatness.
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Dave Hicks
American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day by
It's the life story of a Medal of Honor recipient who persevered over many obstacles including being tortured as a prisoner of war (POW) for many years to succeed in life and not make excuses. I came to know him and his wife personally when I was the 53rd Wing Commander at Eglin Air Force Base. It was an honor to call him a friend and see his passion for life despite what he had endured as a POW. He is the only person I have ever met where I was speechless when I met him for the first time.
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Jeff Boyer and Adam Weiner
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
This book is an absolute essential to building strong professional cultures and values-driven people and organizations. Powerful, time-tested wisdom and lessons, even more relevant today. It is a timeless classic.
I read this book as a teenager, and I still refer to the habits today. It is a reminder in our complex world that being great at the basics is the best approach to maximize success.
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Jason Lamb
The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
Like Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, it goes back to the basics. Drucker’s work covers time management, prioritization, and how to bring people together to stop doing stupid things and get the things done that will move the organization forward. Not a week goes by than I’m not referencing content from this book to one of my clients.
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Lamont Gourdine
Glad to be Here by Donnie Cochran
A former U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot, Cochran addresses failing forward, understanding when you need to step back and do what I call “protecting the logo.”
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Lisa O’Neil
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Kim Scott does an exceptional job of telling us like it is, but more importantly teaching us to do the same through a genuine investment in our people. She hits on the key point of providing challenging and direct feedback but emphasizes that for it to be effective one must possess a genuine interest in the individual motivations and passions of the team member. Ultimately, she concludes that by caring personally and challenging directly, a leader is able to tailor praise and recognition to find the key elements that keep people working hard, moving forward and coming back.
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Kim Campbell
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
In a study conducted by best-selling author and researcher, Brené Brown, for her book Dare to
Lead, 150 global leaders were asked about the future of leadership and what skills were needed for a leader to be successful. One clear theme across all interviews was that we need braver leaders and more courageous cultures. We can make a significant impact on our team when we have the courage to face adversity, take action in difficult situations, and lead our team through challenges.
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Alex Pelbath
Great Leaders Have No Rules by Kevin Kruse
Advocating for “standards and values” instead of “rules,” Kevin Kruse presents contrarian leadership principles that will transform organizations. He challenges leaders to “be tough on standards, but tenderhearted on people,” and demonstrates how “the best leader is the one who helps people so they eventually don’t need him.” This is the kind of book that will get you fired up to lead.
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Angelina Stephens
Think Again by Adam Grant
Challenging your own blind spots and assumptions is a critical skill for leaders in any industry. Adam Grant tackles constructive conflict through a wide range of real world scenarios to explore the paradox of perspective. He challenges you to embrace conflict as an opportunity to learn and grow from the perspective of others, building trust, psychological safety, and high performing teams with unlimited potential.
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Mike Uyboco
Legacy by James Kerr
Sweep the sheds!
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Scott Campbell
Tempered Resilience by Tod Bolsinger
Against the backdrop of comparing the process by which metal instruments and leaders are forged in fire with the need to strike a balance between hardness and flexibility, Bolsinger examines how leaders can most effectively bring about organizational change and the challenges in doing so.
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Chad Vincelette
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
Lencioni presents his concepts on building successful teams in a relatable, fictional narrative and provides a practical, hands-on approach for leaders to overcome the five dysfunctions he’s identified.
Longitude by Dava Sobel’s
An easy read on goal setting, perseverance, and continuous improvement. Prior to the 18th century, sailors at sea could calculate their latitude (North and South) by observing the angle of the sun with the horizon, but they were unable to determine their longitude (East and West). With the invention of his chronometer, John Harrison changed the world.
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Additional Team Recommendations:
Start With Why by Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is the first to admit that his concept of "why" is very simple and straight forward, yet its application in modern business and boardrooms is undeniable. When organizations and their employees understand and focus on the "why," then the 'how' and 'what" become much easier to discern and focus for efficiency and productivity. Sinek's book helps readers think about and reconcile their own "why," to then inspire both themselves and their organization.
Make Your Bed by Admiral (ret) William McRaven
McRaven talks about “embracing the suck” and making sure whatever happens, your day should end happily. The first WIN you can get in the morning is making your bed!
Flying in the Face of Fear by Colonel (ret) Kim “KC” Campbell
Kim distills lessons that allowed her to be successful and survive a harrowing mission as an A-10 fighter pilot that translated across her career as a military leader. She provides practical tips for leaders in their business and personal lives to be better prepared to face and harness everyday fears.
Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The absolute best book on culture change I’ve ever come across. With brilliant tips such as “shape the path” and “focus on the bright spots,” the authors provide and actual “how to” guide to altering an organization’s culture, while doing so in fascinating and entertaining read. As a military commander, I employed multiple strategies directly from this book that helped us build one of the best squadron cultures I’ve ever experienced.
Leadership A Life Sport by Jacob Werksman
Timeless wisdom gained by doing, shared by a former Navy SEAL, Harvard alum and successful entrepreneur, Jacob presents a collection of invaluable real-life lessons, applicable in all of our everyday pursuits – professional, interpersonal, and individual. Told in an engaging and easy to consume format of story, learning and takeaway, this book is a wonderful blend of powerfully deep considerations and quick, actionable, gold nuggets of coaching.