The Leader's Bookshelf

By: R. Manning Ancell, ADM. James Stavridis USN - Ret.

Narrated by: Bob Souer

For the last several years Adm. James Stavridis and his co-author, R. Manning Ancell, have surveyed over 200 active and retired four-star military officers about their reading habits and favorite books, asking each for a list of titles that strongly influenced their leadership skills and provided them with special insights that helped propel them to success in spite of the many demanding challenges they faced. The Leader's Bookshelf synthesizes their responses to identify the top 50 books that can help virtually anyone become a better leader.

Each of the works - novels, memoirs, biographies, autobiographies, management publications - are summarized and the key leadership lessons extracted and presented. Whether individuals work their way through the entire list and read each book cover to cover, or read the summaries provided to determine which appeal to them most, The Leader's Bookshelf will provide a road map to better leadership.

Highlighting the value of reading in both a philosophical and a practical sense, The Leader's Bookshelf provides sound 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.

©2017 James Stavridis and R. Manning Ancell (P)2017 Tantor

Excellent Book about Books

The last chapter is an excellent overview of what makes successful leaders and why reading fills your leadership tool bag.

excellent leadership material

I discovered this book through the CNO reading list and I am looking forward to having read all the books in this list.

Advanced leadership development

If you’re bored of the same old leadership mumbo jumbo, this is a great book that shares more books for those looking for something at the 401 level. Well written, salient points, thoughtful explanations of the authors and relevant leadership highlights to wet your whistle, or not. Just what I needed to continue my lifelong pursuit of development and study on the topic of leadership.

Primarily for Military Leaders

Good overall, but focused on military leadership. Some of the books can be applied o civilian leadership, but most could not be. Maybe law enforcement, but definitely not civilian/ business. I am in law enforcement, which is paramilitary and a hybrid of civilian/ military and some of the books apply, but many do not, The book was billed as accessible to all walks of life. I would not recommend this to non-military or non-law enforcement readers. Some I had already read. A few I purchased based on this book. A PDF of the book lists listed in the audiobook would also be helpful.

If you like civil war history this is a must read

It is on the list of one of the books to read from the Leader’s Bookshelf by Adm. James Stavridis