The Ultimate Reading List for Leaders: Insights from Top Military Minds

The Leader's Bookshelf by Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret) and R. Manning Ancell

“Reading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, Often helplessly into another’s skin, another’s voice, another’s soul.” —Joyce Carol Oates

In The Leader’s Bookshelf, Admiral James Stavridis and his co-author R. Manning Ancell discuss how reading is fundamental to growing as an individual and leader.

• How books can help young and old experience and learn from past events.

• How they can prompt that internal narrative by asking, “What would I have done in that situation?”.

• They teach us about our heroes or maybe introduce us to our heroes.

• They help us refine our communication skills and increase our vocabulary.

• They help us hone our leadership skills.

The author goes on to discuss making time for reading and how to read with a purpose. To read in short bursts and to take notes.

The majority of the book is the leader’s bookshelf itself, “The Top 50.” A different 4-star flag officer recommends each of the top 50 books.

The recommendations include the last billet held by the officer recommending the book, a short note describing why the book was recommended, a favorite quote, a short introduction to the author, and a book summary. Each recommendation concludes with a summary of the book's leadership lessons.

To give you a taste, here is a sampling of books included in the Top 50.

• General Peter J. Schoomaker, USA (Ret.), Chief of Staff U.S. Army 2003-7, recommended Once an Eagle by Anton Myrer

• General Victor E. Renuart, USAF (Ret.), Commander U.S. Northern Command 2007-10, recommended Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

• General Alfred M. Gray Jr., USMC (Ret.), 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps 1987-91, recommended The Art of War by Sun Tzu

• Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN (Ret.), Chief of Naval Operations 1978-82, recommended Nimitz by E. B. Potter

• Admiral James M. Loy, USCG, Commandant of the Coast Guard 1998-2003, recommended Ike the Soldier: As They Knew Him by Merle Miller

• and 45 others…

The book closes with several chapters discussing topics such as writing, publishing, and building a personal library. The Leader’s Bookshelf is like a military service reading list on steroids. The recommendations and their summaries will give you a good feel for whether a book will interest you. The leadership lessons are an added bonus.

Publication Details:

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press

• Pages: 288

• Release Date: March 15, 2017

Tags: Reading Lists, Book Summary

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