Ebook: The Leader’s Bookshelf

“The Leader’s Bookshelf” identifies the "Top 50" books that can help anyone become a better leader. The works selected were based on hundreds of interviews with the most senior active and retired four-star U.S. military leaders who identified books from which they gained the special insights which helped propel them to success in the most demanding leadership challenges. Each of those fifty works -- novels, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, leadership works – are concisely summarized and the key leadership lessons extracted and presented.

Admiral Jim Stavridis and his co-author, R. Manning Ancell, have been surveying very senior military leaders for the past several years regarding their reading habits and favorite books. They have spoken to over 200 four-star officers, including those both currently on active duty and retired. Each of those admirals and generals was asked for a list of books that strongly influenced their leadership skills. Stavridis and Mancell then collated the data and analyzed which books were mentioned most frequently and which ones were most compelling in the leadership lessons offered the reader. The survey, while not scientific, was quite comprehensive. From it, Stavridis and Ancell built a powerful set of recommended readings. Whether individuals work their way through the entire top 50 list and read each book cover to cover, or read the summaries provided in “The Leader’s Bookshelf” to determine which appeal to them most – this book will provide a roadmap to better leadership.

“The Leader’s Bookshelf” highlights the value of reading for leaders in a philosophical and practical sense, provides advice on how to build an extensive library, lists other books worth reading to improve leadership skills, and analyzes how leaders use what they read to achieve their goals.

“The Leader’s Bookshelf” is a book for anyone who wants to improve their ability to lead -- whether in their family life, their professional endeavors, or within our society and civic organizations.