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LF

Leadership from war, sport and politics

Management and Organisational Design

Military treatises, accounts by commanders and coaches, and studies of political leaders, read for lessons on leading organisations.

26 books on Leadership from war, sport and politics, 1 of them tier 1, recommended by 49 people including Ryan Holiday and Mohnish Pabrai.

26 books · 50 experts

Start here

  1. Master of the SenateRobert A. Caro, 2002
  2. Team of RivalsDoris Kearns Goodwin, 2003
  3. The Score Takes Care of ItselfBill Walsh, Steve Jamison, 2009
  4. It's Your ShipD. Michael Abrashoff, 2002
  5. Extreme OwnershipJocko Willink, Leif Babin, 2015

The best books on Leadership from war, sport and politics 26

Master of the SenateMaster of the Senate
T1 Master of the Senate
Robert A. Caro · 2002
Caro on Johnson's mastery of an institution's levers and incentives
Open Library
“Caro's LBJ series is the companion to The Power Broker: it dissects how legislative power is built, traded, and wielded. Andreessen has recommended Caro's work broadly as the best available study of how large institutions actually function versus how they claim to function.”Marc Andreessen
Recommended byJim CollinsMarc AndreessenPatrick Collison
Team of RivalsTeam of Rivals
T2 Team of Rivals
Doris Kearns Goodwin · 2003
Lincoln's cabinet of opponents; a study in managing rivals
Open Library
“Among the best historical books I've ever read" — Lincoln's cabinet as a master class in leadership through disagreement.”Stewart Butterfield
Recommended byBill GatesMohnish PabraiJamie DimonStewart Butterfield
The Score Takes Care of ItselfThe Score Takes Care of Itself
T2 The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bill Walsh, Steve Jamison · 2009
Bill Walsh's standard of performance as an organisational system
Open Library
Recommended byNat EliasonRyan HolidayDavid CancelDrew HoustonJack DorseyJordan HughesJustin KanKeith Rabois+3 more
It's Your ShipIt's Your Ship
T3 It's Your Ship
D. Michael Abrashoff · 2002
A naval captain on delegating authority to improve performance
Open Library
Recommended byJim Collins
Extreme OwnershipExtreme Ownership
T3 Extreme Ownership
Jocko Willink, Leif Babin · 2015
Navy SEAL leadership doctrine adapted to running teams and firms
Open Library
“On his list for its leadership-accountability principles; he has also read Willink's Warrior Kid books to his kids.”Tobi Lütke
Recommended byNat EliasonAlfred LinAustin RiefBrant CooperCasey NeistatChris PowersDavid CancelMarc Andreessen+4 more
Team of TeamsTeam of Teams
T3 Team of Teams
Stanley McChrystal, Tantum Collins, David Silverman, Chris Fussell · 2015
Insider account of restructuring JSOC for speed of decision.
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonChangpeng ZhaoDoug McMillon
Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
T3 Boyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War
Robert Coram · 2002
The definitive account of John Boyd and the OODA loop. Boyd's contribution was to show that strategy is fundamentally about time and adaptation: the side that observes, orients, decides, and acts faster keeps the opponent reacting rather than acting. His ideas crossed into business, software, and lean manufacturing.
Open Library
Recommended byMorgan HouselPatrick O'ShaughnessyPaul GrahamRyan Holiday
On WarOn War
T3 On War
Carl von Clausewitz · 1835
Clausewitz introduces friction, fog, and the political nature of conflict as irreducible elements of strategy. His insistence that war is a continuation of politics by other means is the foundational challenge to anyone who wants a purely technical theory of winning.
Open Library
Recommended byRyan HolidayElon MuskReid Hoffman
Strategy: The Indirect Approach
T3 Strategy: The Indirect Approach
B. H. Liddell Hart
Liddell Hart's historical survey of military campaigns argues that dislocation — attacking an enemy's psychological equilibrium and logistics rather than their strength — is consistently more decisive than frontal assault. A direct critique of Clausewitz's legacy applied to 20th-century warfare.
unverified
The Art of WarThe Art of War
T3 The Art of War
Sun Tzu · 1900
The original text on strategic positioning. Sun Tzu's core insight — that winning without fighting is the highest form of strategy — runs through everything that followed. Short enough to read in an afternoon, dense enough to argue about for a career.
Open Library
“He conceded it "has to get onto my list" of essential entrepreneur reading.”Fred Wilson
Recommended byMohnish PabraiEvan SpiegelFred WilsonMarc BenioffReid HoffmanRyan PetersonVlad Tenev
The PrinceThe Prince
T3 The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli · 1515
Machiavelli's handbook on political strategy remains disturbing because it separates effectiveness from morality — a distinction every strategic thinker eventually has to confront. His analysis of how new rulers consolidate power is still the sharpest treatment of legitimacy under conditions of uncertainty.
Open Library
“Machiavelli's realism—the gap between how men live and how they ought to live—resonates with Thiel's insistence on facing the world as it is rather than as conventional morality says it should be. The Medici dedicatee is also a figure in Thiel's preferred historical arc: the Renaissance patron who understood that power and culture are not separable.”Peter Thiel
Recommended byRyan HolidayStewart BrandFred WilsonGarry TanPeter Thiel
Turn the Ship Around!Turn the Ship Around!
T3 Turn the Ship Around!
L. David Marquet · 2001
Marquet's account of transforming the USS Santa Fe from the worst-performing submarine in the Navy to the best. The specific mechanism — moving from leader-follower to leader-leader by pushing control down while moving competence and clarity up — is one of the most rigorously documented leadership case studies in print.
Open Library
Recommended byBrian ArmstrongJason FriedSimon Sinek
WarfightingWarfighting
T4 Warfighting
A.M. Gray · 1994
Open Library
Recommended byKeith Rabois
Alexander the Great's Art of Strategy: The TAlexander the Great's Art of Strategy: The Timeless Leadership Lessons of History's Greatest Empire
T4 Alexander the Great's Art of Strategy: The Timeless Leadership Lessons of History's Greatest Empire
Partha Bose · 2003
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Certain to WinCertain to Win
T4 Certain to Win
Chet Richards · 2004
Open Library
Recommended byRyan Peterson
What It Takes to Be Number OneWhat It Takes to Be Number One
T4 What It Takes to Be Number One
Vince Lombardi · 2006
Open Library
Recommended byAlfred Lin
Mandela's WayMandela's Way
T4 Mandela's Way
Richard Stengel · 2009
Open Library
Recommended byRichard Branson
It Worked for Me: In Life and LeadershipIt Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership
T4 It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership
Colin Powell, Tony Koltz · 2012
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Eleven RingsEleven Rings
T4 Eleven Rings
Phil Jackson · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byTom Bilyeu
The Myth of the Strong LeaderThe Myth of the Strong Leader
T4 The Myth of the Strong Leader
Archie Brown · 2014
Open Library
Recommended byBill Gates
Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winnin
T4 Wooden on Leadership: How to Create a Winning Organization
Vinesh van der Wees · 2014
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
LeadingLeading
T4 Leading
Alex Ferguson · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byDaniel Ek
Forged in CrisisForged in Crisis
T4 Forged in Crisis
Nancy Koehn · 2017
Open Library
Recommended bySatya Nadella
Call Sign ChaosCall Sign Chaos
T4 Call Sign Chaos
General Mattis · 2019
Open Library
Recommended byRyan Holiday
Leadership
T4 Leadership
Doris Kearns Goodwin
unverified
Recommended byBill GatesScott Belsky
Winners: And How They SucceedWinners: And How They Succeed
T4 Winners: And How They Succeed
Alastair Campbell
unverified
Recommended byRichard Branson

Experts 50

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Authors 1

Stanley McChrystalwrote 1 book here

Recommenders 49

Ryan Holidayrecommends 5 books here
MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 4 books hereBill Gatesrecommends 3 books herePatrick Collisonrecommends 3 books here
JC
Jim Collinsrecommends 2 books hereMarc Andreessenrecommends 2 books hereReid Hoffmanrecommends 2 books hereAlfred Linrecommends 2 books here
DC
David Cancelrecommends 2 books here
FW
Fred Wilsonrecommends 2 books hereKeith Raboisrecommends 2 books here
NE
Nat Eliasonrecommends 2 books here
Show all 49
Richard Bransonrecommends 2 books here
RP
Ryan Petersonrecommends 2 books here
TB
Tom Bilyeurecommends 2 books here
MM
Michael Mauboussinrecommends 1 book herePaul Grahamrecommends 1 book herePeter Thielrecommends 1 book hereMarc Benioffrecommends 1 book here
MH
Morgan Houselrecommends 1 book hereSimon Sinekrecommends 1 book here
AR
Austin Riefrecommends 1 book here
BC
Brant Cooperrecommends 1 book here
BA
Brian Armstrongrecommends 1 book hereCasey Neistatrecommends 1 book hereChangpeng Zhaorecommends 1 book here
CP
Chris Powersrecommends 1 book hereDaniel Ekrecommends 1 book hereDoug McMillonrecommends 1 book hereDrew Houstonrecommends 1 book hereElon Muskrecommends 1 book hereEvan Spiegelrecommends 1 book hereGarry Tanrecommends 1 book hereJack Dorseyrecommends 1 book hereJamie Dimonrecommends 1 book here
JF
Jason Friedrecommends 1 book here
JH
Jordan Hughesrecommends 1 book hereJustin Kanrecommends 1 book here
NK
Noah Kaganrecommends 1 book here
PO
Patrick O'Shaughnessyrecommends 1 book hereRon Conwayrecommends 1 book hereSam Altmanrecommends 1 book hereSatya Nadellarecommends 1 book hereScott Belskyrecommends 1 book hereStewart Brandrecommends 1 book hereStewart Butterfieldrecommends 1 book hereTim Ferrissrecommends 1 book hereTobi Lütkerecommends 1 book hereVlad Tenevrecommends 1 book here
See all 50 in the Experts tab →

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