The Development of a Reading Program

Reading about Leadership, and the Introduction of my Reading List

In my last post, I introduced you to The Pentagon’s library of current reading lists.  This, along with many other valuable resources, exists to provide military and civilian personnel in the Department of Defense the best choices of literature to expand their knowledge of military heritage, leadership and the principles of war, among other topics.  A Professional Reading Program, and the development of a regular reading regimen, provides an opportunity to continue life-long learning, to expand one’s sphere of knowledge and exposure to great minds of the past, and to practice critical thinking.[i]  Regular and routine reading is an integral and fundamental part of one’s continued education, and to expand awareness of tools and information meant to improve their skills and wisdom.

Also in my last post, I encouraged you to put together your own reading list; a list of books, articles, ebooks, etc. that you have read, or have the desire to read.  I am eager to see your responses, as I am always interested in expanding my awareness of good reads that could help advance my education.  I have put my own list together, and would like to share it with you.  I have divided it into three categories; military leadership, memoirs & biographies, and general management.  Today, I will reveal my military leadership portion of the reading list.  The books in the following list are only some of my many books related to military leadership.  Over time, I will reveal to you my entire library of books that relate to the premise of this blog, as well as share with you my “wish list” of books I want to add to my collection and read.

Presented as a bibliography, the following list are books in my military leadership category that I intend to read in 2012:

Abrashoff, D. Michael. It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy. New York: Warner Books, 2002.

Carrison, Dan, and Rod Walsh. Semper Fi: Business Leadership The Marine Corps Way. New York: American Management Association, 1999.

Cohen, William A. The New Art of the Leader: Leading With Integrity and Honor. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall P, 2000.

Donnithorne, Larry. The West Point Way of Leadership: From Learning Principled Leadership to Practicing It. New York: Currency Doubleday, 1993.

Freedman, David H. Corps Business: The 30 Management Principles of the U.S. Marines. New York: HarperBusiness, 2001.

Heller, Joseph. Catch-22: A Novel. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1955.

Johnson, W. Brad., and Gregory P. Harper. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way: 12 Combat Lessons from the Navy’s Leadership Laboratory. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.

Kinni, Theodore B., and Donna Kinni. No Substitute for Victory: Lessons in Strategy and Leadership from General Douglas MacArthur. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT/Prentice Hall, 2005.

Laver, Harry S., and Jeffrey J. Matthews. The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell. Lexington, KY: University P of Kentucky, 2010.

Montor, Karel, Anthony J. Ciotti, and Malcolm E. Wolfe. Fundamentals of Naval Leadership. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute P, 1984.

Montor, Karel. Naval Leadership: Voices of Experience. Annapolis, MD: Naval Inst. P, 1998.

Newman, Aubrey S. Follow Me I: The Human Element in Leadership. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1997.

Newman, Aubrey S. Follow Me II: More on the Human Element in Leadership. Navato, CA: Presidio, 1997.

Newman, Aubrey S. Follow Me III: Lessons on the Art and Science of High Command. Novato, CA: Presidio, 1997.

Pagonis, William G., and Jeffrey L. Cruikshank. Moving Mountains: Lessons in Leadership and Logistics from the Gulf War. Boston: Harvard Business School P, 1992.

Puryear, Edgar F. American Generalship: Character is Everything : The Art of Command. Novato, CA: Presidio, 2002.

Ruggero, Ed. Duty First: A Year in the Life of West Point and The Making of American Leaders. New York: Perennial, 2002.

Sullivan, Gordon R., and Michael V. Harper. Hope is Not a Method: What Business Leaders Can Learn from America’s Army. New York: Broadway Books, 1997.

Wheeler, Tom. Take Command!: Leadership Lessons from the Civil War. New York: Currency Doubleday, 2001.

Copyright © Dale R. Wilson

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FOOTNOTES –

[i] “Memorandum for the Air War College Class of 2012 – Professional Reading Program – Instructional Period 6209.”  Maxwell Air Force Base, USAF Air University Public Portal.  Accessed 13 December 2011.  http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/school/awc/core/6200_AY2012_JSL_IP6209.pdf