My recommendations:

– “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card (the level of self-reflection that Ender goes through is shocking because of how self-reflective it is a reader who is a leader.  It’s an unsettling book to read, and that’s why I recommend it)

– “Steal Like an Artist”  by Austin Kleon (especially the concepts of ‘do good work and share it with other people’ and ‘enjoy your anonymity while you have it’.  The concepts about ability to work digital and analog are especially poignant in our modern world, and I truly believe deepen our ability to creatively solve problems.  Also the idea of leaving time in your day for thought and problem solving is something I think the Army could do well to incorporate.  White Space is not a sin. )

– “Bossypants” by Tina Fey (especially the managerial lessons she learned from Lorne Michaels.  Also, we all have doubts about our abilities.  And the job is hard.  Take risks and apply your abilities with confidence, get some guidance / assistance, and then go create. )

– “Bad Leadership” and “Followership” by Barbara Kellerman (What makes a bad leader?  Just how important are followers? Let’s take the mental model and turn it upside down, times two servings)

– “Cybwerwarfare and Cybersecurity” by PW Singer (it’s a brave new world out there)

– “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek  (very basic principles that very readily apply to military mindsets)

– “Grey Emminence” (Mentorship: it’s a Thing.  And Guess What? Spoiler alert: Patton, Marshall, and Ike weren’t always total BAs.  They weren’t born generals and they definitely put their pants on one leg at a time.)

– “Invisibles: the power of anonymous work in the age of relentless self-promotion” paired with “Quiet” by Susan Cain (Introverts are frequently see as lesser leaders because they aren’t as loud or boisterous as extroverts, but that is proven to be a false impression in Cain’s book.  And Invisibles drives home the point of service with several fascinating examples including a UN Translator, a Wayfinder, and one of the most famous engineers you’ve never met)

– “Outliers”  and “Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell (the 10,000 hour rule comes about to about 10 years. Guess what the timeline is for MAJ? Takeaway: If you don’t start now and every day after driving towards success step by step, you won’t be a literal expert when you become a field grade officer. every day counts.)

– “Heroic Leadership” by Chris Lowney (because you can look in all sorts of places beyond military and business world proper for examples of leadership. And passion is a very necessary ingredient in high quality leaders)

Classics: Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Brave New World, 1984,  A Clockwork Orange, Starship Troopers