My favorite books for introducing military tactics into your leadership strategy

Why am I passionate about this?

As a veteran of the United States Army Special Operations Command, my time in the army will always guide my actions. When I began my career in cybersecurity and later took on the role of President and Chair of Conquest Cyber, I looked to my military experience for guidance. The lessons I learned from leaders were much like those I’ve learned through these books, and they are lessons that will benefit any leader, business owner, or founder. 


I wrote...

All the War They Want: Special Operations Techniques for Winning in Cyber Warfare, Business, and Life

By Jeffrey J Engle,

Book cover of All the War They Want: Special Operations Techniques for Winning in Cyber Warfare, Business, and Life

What is my book about?

All the War They Want presents counterintuitive problem-solving techniques, using as its case in point one of the most existential threats to our national security and American way of life: cyber warfare. Informed by Jeffrey Engle’s experience as a member of the U.S. military’s elite special ops community, his Brazilian jiujitsu training, and his leadership of a premier cyber defense company, All the War They Want offers an alternative perspective on overcoming tough leadership challenges―a perspective previously available only to those bearing the scars of a lifetime at war.

All the War They Want shows you what rules and conventions to break to stack the deck in your favor, giving you the competitive edge in business and in life.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Founder Brand: Turn Your Story Into Your Competitive Advantage

Jeffrey Engle Why did I love this book?

Becoming a founder is not for the faint of heart. It requires you to be bold, creative, and innovative—if you want to be successful, that is.

The thing that stands out about this book to me is that it takes the bold heart of a leader and transforms it into a brand. 

Dave guides you through marketing yourself and your brand—teaching key lessons for start-up success. His tactical approach serves as a guidebook or a battle plan to take both you and your company to the next level.

By Dave Gerhardt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Founder Brand as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

You're part of an elite group of builders, creators, and innovators who have accomplished something few can claim: you've founded a company. Now the challenge of standing out in the crowd begins-and how you differentiate yourself counts.


Building a brand and growing a business can be expensive and time-consuming. But you have a key advantage and secret strategy, one that will set you apart no matter your industry, product, or company size. You have a story, and it's one of your most valuable assets.

In Founder Brand, marketing expert Dave Gerhardt reveals how to build your brand by positioning yourself…


Book cover of Delta Force: A Memoir by the Founder of the U.S. Military's Most Secretive Special-Operations Unit

Jeffrey Engle Why did I love this book?

As the founder and first commanding officer of Delta Force, Col. Charles Beckwith has been a long-term role model for me. When beginning my corporate career, it was only natural for his example to influence my actions. 

Col. Beckwith saw a gap in the U.S. army’s capabilities and pushed to create Delta. This is the spirit of Conquest—recognizing the gaps of America’s cybersecurity and pushing companies beyond compliance towards resiliency. For any leader or motivated business person, reading Delta Force will inspire you to push for what you believe in.

By Charlie A Beckwith, Donald Knox,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Delta Force as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Wanted: Volunteers for Project Delta. Will guarantee you a medal. A body bag. Or both. When Charlie Beckwith issued this call to arms in Vietnam in 1965, he revolutionized American armed combat. This is the story of what would eventually come to be known as Delta Force, as only its maverick creator could tell it - from the bloody baptism of Vietnam to the top-secret training grounds of North Carolina to political battles in the upper levels of the Pentagon itself. This is the heart-pounding, first-person, insider's view of the missions that made Delta Force legendary. Through it all, the…


Book cover of Tier One Wild

Jeffrey Engle Why did I love this book?

Even corporate America needs heroes. While Tier One Wild is fiction, it was written by a true hero, Dalton Fury. Fury was the senior ranking officer in the Battle of Tora Bora. He helped author the operation to hunt and kill bin Laden. 

This book, the second in the Raynor series, has the flair of someone who has been there as Fury has been. Its fast moving and includes elements of both redemption and sacrifice. While this would be easy to dismiss as fiction or another war story, readers will be surprised by how applicable the lessons can be in the business world.  

By Dalton Fury,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tier One Wild as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times bestselling author and former Delta Force commander Dalton Fury (Black Site and Kill Bin Laden) is back with an explosive new thriller

Former disgraced Delta Force commander Kolt "Racer" Raynor has earned his way back into The Unit after redeeming himself during an explosive operation at a black site in Pakistan. But he is about to face his deadliest challenge yet.

The most wanted man in the world, American al Qaeda commander Daoud al Amriki, and his handpicked team of terrorist operatives, have acquired stores of Russian-built, shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles (SAM's) from ex-Libyan spies in Cairo. Their…


Book cover of Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity

Jeffrey Engle Why did I love this book?

A newer favorite, Amp It Up is a book I wish I could have read as I first took the helm at Conquest Cyber. Even still, it's full of knowledge for anyone looking to lead or grow a company. While it is easy to fall into the mindset that you do not have the resources for rapid growth, it does not necessarily take consultants, added employees, or financial investment to grow a company to its full potential. This book shows you how to maximize the resources you have—eliminating mediocrity from your ranks and relentlessly elevating your mission.  

By Frank Slootman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Amp It Up as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly Bestseller

The secret to leading growth is your mindset

Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman is one of the tech world's most accomplished executives in enterprise growth, having led Snowflake to the largest software IPO ever after leading ServiceNow and Data Domain to exponential growth and the public market before that. In Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity, he shares his leadership approach for the first time.

Amp It Up delivers an authoritative look at what it takes to transform an organization for maximum growth and…


Book cover of Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World

Jeffrey Engle Why did I love this book?

I’m a proud fighter against the conventional. Bigger is not necessarily better; Compliance is not enough. General McChrystal spends much of his book sharing in this mindset. His experience leading the Joint Special Operation Task Force in their efforts to take down Al Qaeda is inspiring, but for those less military-minded leaders, he shares other examples of where small and agile teams have found success in a hospital ER to NASA. It’s bold, fun to read, and fast-paced. Team of Teams is worth the read for leaders at any stage of their career. 

By Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Team of Teams as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As commander of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), General Stanley McChrystal discarded a century of management wisdom and pivoted from a pursuit of mechanical efficiency to organic adaptability.

In this book, he shows how any organization can make the same transition to act like a team of teams - where small groups combine the freedom to experiment with a relentless drive to share their experience.

Drawing on a wealth of evidence from his military career and sources as diverse as hospital emergency rooms and NASA's space program, McChrystal frames the existential challenge facing today's organizations, and presents a compelling, effective…


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Conditions are Different After Dark

By Owen W. Knight,

Book cover of Conditions are Different After Dark

Owen W. Knight Author Of The Visitors

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Visionary Compassionate Imaginative Conspiracist Apophenia (or apophenic)

Owen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

In 1662, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. Awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.

Over four centuries later, Faith and James move to the country to start a new life and a family. They discover their village lives under the curse uttered by the hanged man. Could their arrival be connected? They fear their choice of new home is no coincidence. Unexplained events hint at threats or warnings to leave. They become convinced the village remains cursed despite their friends’ denials. Who can they trust, and who are potential enemies?

Conditions are Different After Dark

By Owen W. Knight,

What is this book about?

In 1660, a man is wrongly executed for signing the death warrant of Charles I. While awaiting execution, he asks to speak with a priest, to whom he declares a curse on the village that betrayed him. The priest responds with a counter-curse, leaving just one option to nullify it.
Over four centuries later, Faith and James move to the country to start a new life and a family. They learn that their village lives under the curse uttered by the hanged man. Could their arrival be connected?
Faith and James fear that their choice of a new home is…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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