2020 - A Year In Reading

Over the past week I've reflected upon what I've learned in 2020 by reading. In the past, I've taken a 'Top 10,' list approach. But this year I've tried to categorize. It's been fairly well received, so I thought I would compile my postings below (with a quick bonus tucked in at the end).

The Most Important Book to Read in 2020 - Together by former (& current nominee for) Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy.

Together is a reminder that togetherness is a true human need & as our society shifts, loneliness has become an epidemic with profound mental & physical health repercussions. Murthy argues that loneliness can be as harmful to our heath as smoking. Our need for social connection was a medical issue of profound magnitude before a Global Pandemic forced isolation. Our human need for interconnection & kindness has only magnified.

Honorable mention: The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. With change creates opportunity and while we can’t control the world around us, but we can control our reaction(s) to it.

Or Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt - If a global pandemic wasn't enough, 2020 also brought another chapter of civil unrest. Biased is equal parts amazing & difficult to write about, but isn’t that the point? This book taught me just how much I didn’t understand regarding the depth & power of unconscious bias - a topic I felt fairly educated about. I quickly realized I didn’t know just how much I didn’t know...

The Book Most Recommended to HR Acquaintances – The Talent War by Michael Sarraille, George Randle & Josh Cotton, Ph.D. Forward by Jocko Willink.

The principle is simple (but not easy) – hire for character, train for skill. 

Since the military can’t hire proven Special Operators, they are forced to develop & hone a talent mindset. I’d argue it’s also the approach legacy sports programs use. As someone who has hired almost exclusively for grit/resilience at the expense of position/industry experience, I strongly believe in these mythologies. This book is a how-to guide on implementation of a ‘talent mindset.’ Rich Diviney's The Attributes (releases 1/26) will build on this approach.

Honorable Mention - Debrief to Win by Robert "Cujo" Teschner - The Army mission planning process has a critical final step which is often ignored in business - The After Action Review (or AAR). A quick pause for discussion & reflection on what went right, what went wrong & how to improve moving forward. Consistent application is how to take strategic planning from a New Year's resolution and build it into the infrastructure, boosting communication & engagement along the way.

The Book That Challenged Me To Grow - Deliberate Discomfort by Jason Van Camp/recommend by Jon Macaskill. Ironically I'm currently rereading it for the #DDChallenge

Deliberate Discomfort focuses on building a growth mindset through consistently pushing mental & physical comfort by well, being uncomfortable. It provides several proven formulas to establish a actionable framework focused on personal growth & self-improvement.

Unlike other military-special-operator-writes-a-book-about-leadership books, it doesn’t simply tell war stories, but continues onward, using experts to break down the science & psychology behind the story to transition extreme examples of heroism & valor into more digestible, actionable lessons ready for day-to-day application. This book is a master class on expanding comfort and therefore results while leading by example.

Honorable Mention – The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson & recommended by Elizabeth Haberberger.

Little things, done consistently, add up. An often underappreciated currency is time. Just like compounded interest has the power to significantly magnify investments (think retirement accounts), compounded effort has the ability to magnify effort. Some quick examples:

• Read 15 pages a day = 20 books per year
• Drink one less soda per day = lose 15 pounds in a year

The Book I Needed to Fill a Hole in my Leadership - The Coaching Habit by ?? Michael Bungay Stanier & recommended by Bobby Herrera.

This is a book I've searched for. As someone who defaults to listening to solve, its is a game changer. A must read for anyone who aspires to go from manager to leader, from problem solver (if only in their own mind) to spirit guide. If you believe in empowering your employees, follow this how-to-guide.

Seven simple, straight forward questions to help others transition from the simple & binary to determine what is most important &/or the root cause. Basically, this is a master class in coaching (or helping others reach their own conclusions). His questions expand ever outward, building on one another to create a framework of exploration.

Honorable Mention: Language is Leadership by L. David Marquet. One of my favorite authors since Matt Whiat & Valerie Rivera recommended him. This book is dense with actionable items & the only reason it's not at the top of my list is there's so much value that I struggled to retain even a fraction. Marquet is a genius who has forgotten more about leadership, change management, proactive communication & engagement than I'll ever retain.

Most Entertaining (While Also Providing Insight) - Legacy by James Kerr

Legacy is a fun, yet valuable read that I've gifted multiple times. It examines how the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Club has held strong for over a century, expanding their 15 principles outward to business focused application. Some of my favorites:

• No Dickheads-Select or for character over talent
• Sweep the Sheds - It's the team captain's responsibility to clean the locker room after each match, setting the example & leading from the front
• Create a learning environment - The team has time and freedom to focus on autonomy, mastery & purpose as they see fit

Honorable Mention: John O'Leary's In Awe, which focuses on the gift of childhood innocence—from optimism to creativity to simple pleasures—& reads as a manifesto for how to accept and prosper in a world that is decisive, yet uncertain. Thanks to Gary Baker & Will Foy at the RVO for gifting me a copy upon its release.

Bonus: Podcast of the Year - Simon Sinek's A Bit of Optimism.

I rarely listen to Podcasts as I devote the majority of my audio time to Audible. I've found that when I make an exception, it's often because two people I greatly respect are conversing and the sum is greater than the parts as a result of their building on one another. This has been the first Podcast where I trust, even when I'm unfamiliar with the guest, being worth the time investment. And I've yet to be proven wrong. Sinek's ability to distill the conversation to summarize are often profound and I've found myself paraphrasing & quoting in conversation multiple times. I find myself looking forward to each episode the way I would a television program when I was younger, curious to hear how Sinek connects the dots and pulls from his own conversation with other fascinating and profound people. I've also found myself thinking, more and more, about his most recent book, The Infinite Mindset, which I still believe will be remembered as Sinek's manifesto.