12/31/23 My 2023 Developmental Reading List

This is a list of reading I complete in 2023. Reading is one of the easiest ways you can develop yourself personally and professionally, but only if you do two things. The first is applying the lessons of the reading to your daily life. The second is connecting your current reading with lessons from prior reading and synthesize ways the ideas support each other. Use that understanding to mindfully reflect on adopting new habits. Now, the list.

• The Handbook for Leaders by John H. Zenger & Joseph Folkman
• The Greatest Medal of Honor Stories Ever Told, edited by Tom McCarthy
• Operation Snow by John Koster
• Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt
• Noble Listening by Mark Brady
• Ideas and Opinions by Albert Einstein, translated by Sonja Bargmann, edited by Carl Seelig
• Developing Your Case for Support by Timothy L. Seller
• The World America Made by Robert Kagan
• The Language of Life & Business Coaching by Chad Hall
• The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman
• Strategic Planning by John M. Bryson
• The Procrastination Cure by Jeffery Combs
• Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
• The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChessney & Sean Covey
• Write Your Book on the Side by Hassan Osman (yes, I am working on a leadership book)
• Leadership Through Trust & Collaboration by Jill Ratliff
• The Last of His Kind by David Roberts
• Tales of the White Mountains by Nathaniel Hawthorne
• The Future is Faster than You Think by Peter H. Diamandis
• At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends by Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Ask Powerful Questions by Will Wise & Chad Littlefield

Some of these books were read to me via the Libby app from my local library, or Audible. A number were digital books borrowed from my library. A few were downloaded from the Gutenberg Project website. You do not have to spend a ton of money to read good books. I also read a number of novels not included in this list over the year as well.

8/21/23 I downloaded a year’s worth of inspirational quotes earlier this year. I printed one for every week. As I prepare to change last week’s quote, I realized again how true the statement is, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 9% of how I react to it.” by Charles Swindoll. As I reflected on the statement, I realize how poorly I react to things life throws at me. I also reflected on how this simple statement ties into Stephen R. Covey’s lesson on HABIT ONE: BE PROACTIVE from his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Reflect on the word responsibility. Notice the slight pause between response, and, ability. Covey teaches that effective people use that space, that tiny pause, to use their ability to select an effective response. That habit, empowers highly effective people to react better and live better lives. Reflect on ways you can better use that space to choose better actions after stimuli. Use positive self talk when you fail to improve your first few times. Thinking about those responses before the stimulus helps you war game better reactions. Remember that Major League Baseball players who only hit the ball 30% of the time are considered great batters. As you practice improved reactions, your hit ratio will increase. Soon you will notice how your life improves as well.

6/29/23 My recommended summer reading for leaders.

• Ask Powerful Questions by Will Wise
• The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn by David Roberts
• Leadership Through Trust and Collaboration by Jill Ratliff
• The Four Disciplines of Execution by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, and Jim Huling
• Up From Slavery; An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington

1/27/2023 Welcome to the New Year. The series Trust is the Cornerstone, and Three Leadership Conversations both appear to have interested many readers. Thanks for taking time to read and consider these topics. I noticed that the post from a few years ago on using three methods to send a message you want others to remember has been trending for about six months. As a result, I plan to create an additional series for 2023 on improving your communication as a leader. I look forward to your feedback.