[January 25, 2014] Two exceptional books this week to recommend. Both address issues with senior executive leadership. The first book by a retired U.S. Army brigadier general is about leading yourself and the problems that a military leader faces day to day. The second book, one which has become controversial, by past Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is an informative book about our political and military decision-making processes during war.
Today, more books that I am now reading and find interesting:
24/7: The First Person You Must Lead is You by Rebecca “Becky Halstead
Becky Halstead is a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General with considerable senior level experience in peacetime and war. Her book takes on the topic of leadership and puts a new angle on it. She believes that in order to be an effective leader, the leader must first lead oneself. While is may be intuitively obviously, Halstead is able to provide the reader with a wonderful read. Humility is one of her key characteristics that comes out in the book and shows us how to be successful if we can only understand ourselves and have the discipline to do the right thing.
Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War by Robert Gates
I will be providing a three-part series on this book later in the month. For the recommended reading list, I would put Gates book right at the top. I personally found it both interesting and informative, in particular about the reasoning for going to continue the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The difficulties of strategy and senior leader personalities are discussed in detail and is enlightening in many ways. Gates also shows his frustration at the level of and persistence of the bureaucracy in Washington DC and the military. He also takes the time to explain how dysfunctional our politicians are at the federal level.
To go to the full Professional Reading list, simply click on this direct link: www.theleadermaker.com/reading-list/