A popular leader development tool for many commanders is the “Junior Officer Reading Program”.  I’ve seen this manifested in many forms, from an Oprah’s Book Club-type collaboration, to writing graded book reports while on Staff Duty.  Many reading lists are guided by the Chairman or the Chief’s picks across any number of topics, from history to technology.  The subjects are becoming increasingly diverse with some surprising titles and genres that indicate a desire for leaders to read broadly.  Further, the seminal works in their traditional dusty jackets are being augmented by huge online resources for downloading e-books, professional journals, blogs, and even podcasts.

There are endless options to accommodate how you best consume content.  I prefer hard copy texts to e-readers, but glean headlines from news apps and email list-servers.  Not to mention my love of NPR…  An awesome tool that I adopted from a former boss is to encourage peers and subordinates to share libraries by linking up on GoodReads.com.  I’ve loved keeping in touch with old teams and keeping up with their lives and interests through a shared love of reading.  (Look me up!)

The most important part of professional reading for self development is that we do it!

Soooo, what are you reading?  What are you fav. professional picks?  Any good tips/tricks to stay current and intellectually stimulated?