The best biographies that show leadership through someone's own story

Why am I passionate about this?

Leadership is always the key to success in strategic planning for any organization. Great leaders can drive their organizations to success, while poor leadership can crater the organization and take generations for it to rebuild. A good leader is essential in the aspect of providing good morale for the employees of the organization. Good leadership factors cause the organization to be seen as cutting edge and as an organization that others want to go work for in an effort to be better themselves. An organization with a superior strategic planning process, will have great leaders and employees to not only formulate the plan, but also execute the plan successfully.  


I wrote...

Strategic Planning and Decision-Making for Public and Non-Profit Organizations

By Nicolas A. Valcik,

Book cover of Strategic Planning and Decision-Making for Public and Non-Profit Organizations

What is my book about?

This book provides administrators in public and non-profit organizations with direction and a framework from which to lead their organizations effectively. Taking a global approach to the issues administrators need to examine when managing a group of employees at any level (including budgeting and expenditures, forecasting, policy creation and execution, communication, and reporting), this book explores the driving forces in organizational decision making. Throughout the book, real-world case studies provide students and practitioners with a clear understanding of how exactly the right decision tool may be applied when facing a particular decision in any organization.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Leadership Secrets of Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success

Nicolas A. Valcik Why did I love this book?

History is full of military men and commanders who have had to possess leadership qualities and decision-making abilities to be successful in the field and in life.

This book has a number of great qualities described throughout the book that public managers should take note of in order to be successful. I love the 10 commandments format for the book. The case studies throughout the book for both warfare and business are very insightful, and I feel beneficial for leaders to understand how the principles described are applied in real-life situations. 

By Richard Marcinko,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Leadership Secrets of Rogue Warrior as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Richard Marcinko's explosive #1 New York Times bestselling autobiography, Rogue Warrior, chronicled the wild, death-defying adventures of his thirty controversial years as a Navy commando and creator of the legendary SEAL TEAM SIX. Three blockbuster Rogue Warrior novels transformed classified information he could never reveal in nonfiction into blistering tales of international warfare and counterterrorism. Now, writing in the tradition of A Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's greatest samurai, Marcinko blasts other self-help guides out of the water. In LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF THE ROGUE WARRIOR, he shows how anyone can apply the skills he has honed throughout…


Book cover of Push: Breaking through the Barriers

Nicolas A. Valcik Why did I love this book?

There are all types of different leaders throughout life. Some in large organizations and some in small groups.

A leader in my mind is one who motivates his or her colleagues to accomplish great feats either in the workplace or in life. In his book Push, Johnny Quinn reminds us all what it takes to be a leader, not just in sports, but in life itself.

Facing adversity is what life is all about, and Push made me feel great and motivated by how one person overcame adversity to achieve a series of goals, even if they were not in Quinn’s linear path of what he thought he was going to achieve. This is how real leaders operate, they have a great work ethic and a high degree of integrity to achieve great things. 

By Johnny Quinn,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

JOHNNY QUINN shares his “wild dream” of playing in the NFL, being crushed after getting cut three times, losing 2.6 million dollars in contracts and blowing out his knee. At age 30, when most professional athletes are considered “over the hill,” Johnny was competing for Team USA in the sport of bobsled at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

This book ushers readers through the valleys of life to the thrills of rocketing down icy mountains at 80+ mph with no seat belt. Discover how the author overcame failure on the road to achieving greatness.

From an NFL failure…


Book cover of Innovators Who Changed the World: Timeless Leadership Lessons From West Point, Green Berets, Sherlock Holmes, and Wall Street

Nicolas A. Valcik Why did I love this book?

Webb’s book is about leaders, pure and simple. The examples used throughout the book successfully frame out what a leader is and how innovation allowed these leaders to shape the future.

Leaders such as Jigoro Kano for example, developed Kodokan Judo from the Samurai’s hand-to-hand combat style of Jujitsu, which was created for self-defense purposes. Jigoro Kano had a different mindset. Jigoro Kano wanted to create a non-lethal sport, which is what we see in the Olympics today as well as many Mixed Martial Artists (MMA) that currently compete.

Jigoro Kano’s vision of “the gentle way”, for which Judo translates to, is used for recreation, health, and fitness as well as to provide law enforcement and the military a non-lethal method to deal with criminals and combatants. 

Book cover of Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change

Nicolas A. Valcik Why did I love this book?

This book is great for leaders who are coming into a new situation, or are currently in an evolving work environment. Any environment is going to have change, and leaders have to recognize and adapt when change occurs.

To be successful, a leader needs to ensure that the operations of their area can adapt and deliver to their clients. William Bridges' book is geared to assist managers and leaders with those changes and assists them with the key issues to be mindful of during a transition. This book is one that every manager and leader should have on their bookshelf.

By William Bridges, Susan Bridges,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

The business world is constantly transforming. When restructures, mergers, bankruptcies, and layoffs hit the workplace, employees and managers naturally find the resulting situational shifts to be challenging. But the psychological transitions that accompany them are even more stressful. Organizational transitions affect people it is always people, rather than a company, who have to embrace a new situation and carry out the corresponding change.As veteran business consultant William Bridges explains, transition is successful when employees have a purpose, a plan, and a part to play. This indispensable guide is now updated to reflect the challenges of today's ever-changing, always-on, and globally…


Book cover of The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell

Nicolas A. Valcik Why did I love this book?

Harari’s book is both insightful and inspirational for leaders in public service.

As were many commanders during that era, Powell was a Vietnam Veteran and learned much from the public policy debacle where he served valiantly. This helped him formulate the Powell Doctrine which provided strategic framework for the military operating in an American Foreign Policy environment.

Strategic planning was key in how Colin Powell dealt successfully with a very complex military operation (e.g. Desert Storm) by having overwhelming force as well as stakeholder support. The book discusses the different aspects of leadership as seen through Powell’s eyes, which is very insightful on what his vision of what characteristics a leader should possess.  

By Oren Harari,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the "New York Times", "Business Week", "Wall Street Journal" and "USA Today Bestseller" - Now in Paperback! "The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell" goes beyond other books to take an honest look into the foundations of Colin Powell's compelling leadership style. Sparked with insights and observations that are as refreshingly honest as they are grittily realistic, it provides a blueprint for inspiring anyone - including yourself - to achieve extraordinary levels of performance.Praise for "The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell" include: "Management professor Oren Harari adopts Colin Powell's rise into the upper ranks of American power as a…


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Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

By Antonieta Contreras,

Book cover of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

Antonieta Contreras Author Of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a trauma therapist and dedicated researcher, I love uncovering valuable insights within lesser-known books. There are hidden gems, free from the pressure of commercial success, crafted by authors deeply committed to research, understanding, and the art of writing itself. Their dedication resonates with me, as I believe in the profound value of information and the power of critical thinking. Through my own book, Traumatization and Its Aftermath, I aim to emphasize that psychological concepts often lose their depth in translation and my mission is spreading awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of trauma and its intricate facets. With that idea in mind, I chose these five titles. 

Antonieta's book list on uncovering the human experience and exploring the depths of trauma

What is my book about?

A fresh take on the difference between trauma and hardship in order to help accurately spot the difference and avoid over-generalizations.

The book integrates the latest findings in brain science, child development, psycho-social context, theory, and clinical experiences to make the case that trauma is much more than a cluster of symptoms to be tamed, but instead best understood as development gone off course, away from growth and towards (only) survival.

This book prompts a profound shift in perception, inviting to view trauma as an intricate and diverse experience, a point of view that ultimately leads to sharper treatment and, hopefully, more healing. It encourages a transition from asking, "What happened to you?" to the deeper question, "What is your relationship with what happened to you?"

Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

By Antonieta Contreras,

What is this book about?

The book is comprehensive, bold, and practical-a much-needed resource for the assessment and treatment of trauma. Instead of the traditional focus on the overall importance of healing, Traumatization and its Aftermath decodes why some people don't heal as easily as others, analyzes the various failures of diagnosis, and explains how to make therapeutic interventions truly effective.

This book offers a systemic deep dive into traumatization that clarifies myths and misinformation about the entire spectrum of trauma and provides both clinicians and non-clinicians with the right level of validation, preventive measures, conceptualization methodology, assessment tools, and healing facts that have not…


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