General Votel’s
Recommended Reading & Listening
Explore General Votel’s library to unlock some of the secrets of effective leadership, delve into the fascinating world of technology and innovation, or gain a deeper understanding of national security and global threats. Empower yourself to make informed decisions and drive positive change in your life with this curated collection of wisdom and insight.
Featured Book
For leaders trying to understand how to use AI in a practical, positive way, The AI-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods is worth your time. It’s a concise, well-structured read with clear examples of how AI can improve leadership and help organizations perform at a higher level.
What stands out most is the guidance on prompting simple, actionable advice that makes AI far more useful. The added workbook and online resources reinforce that this is meant to be applied, not just read.
A quick, useful read that builds confidence and gives leaders a clear way to step into the AI era.
Leadership & Inspiration
Books
Arthur C. Brooks
Blayne Smith & Brandon Young
Dr. Constantine Andriopoulos
The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves
Alexandra Hudson
Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things
Adam Grant
Robert Sutton & Huggy Rao
Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff
Joel Peterson
The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King - the Five Stars Who Won the War at Sea
Walter E. Borneman
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
David Epstein
Leadership: In Turbulent Times
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
Sebastian Junger
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing
The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt
Edmund Morris
The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today
Thomas E. Ricks
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Simon Sinek
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
Adam Grant
Podcasts
Our Future is Bright with Leaders like this. Why we "Gen Z" choose to serve and the People who influence them.
Mission Critical : Defense Recruiting
Leading with Action: Fostering Resilience from the Ground Up with Wahid Nawabi
Ideas That Impact
Character Development at West Point: Insights from Dr. Peterson
Jocko Podcast
This Is Why People Don't Achieve What They Set Out To Achieve.
Leadership Matters
HBR IdeaCast
Stuck on a Problem? Try Switching Up Your Approach
Dare to Lead with Brené Brown
Technology & Innovation
Books
Don Yaegar, Bernie Banks & Karen Cyphers
The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
Jim Gertner
Outliers: The Story of Success
Malcolm Gladwell
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
Walter Isaacson
Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
Gene Krantz
The Wright Brothers
David McCullough
Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century
P.W. Singer
Podcasts
Horns of a Dilemma
Understanding DoD's Industrial Base Problems
Defense Mavericks
Empowering Soldier Innovation
The Lawfare Podcast
Revisionist History
Intelligence Matters
Rational Security
National Security Strategy & Threats
Books
2054: A Novel
Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret)
Three Days in January
Bret Baier
The General vs. The President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War
H.W. Brands
The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789
Joseph J. Ellis
Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America's Role in the World
Robert D. Kaplan
Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to KnowAbout Global Politics
Tim Marshall
The Map of Knowledge: How Classical Ideas Were Lost and Found; A History of Seven Cities
Violet Moller
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Navy
Ian W. Toll
Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David
Lawrence Wright
Podcasts
Intelligence Matters: The Relaunch
NATO Deep Dive
The Threat From Iran & Beyond
Clockwise
Accidental Tech Podcast
All In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
WSJ's The Future of Everything
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Whether you’re hosting a corporate event, leadership summit, educational conference, or other gathering where inspiration and leadership are paramount, he is the ideal speaker to elevate your occasion.