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CMEF Leadership Library

From the Chief

Leadership is about building relationships and fostering an environment where people feel valued. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that nurturing partnerships ensures we're the best Air Force in the world, and I've accomplished this by being a sponge for information and valuing the stories found in many great books.

These books have challenged me to develop, define, and then refine my life and leadership perspectives. Through reading and continually educating myself, I've had the opportunity to pass on what I've learned to our Airmen, helping them to see the bigger picture and what it means to be a medic and to support our mission. It's about people, and I believe that remaining curious centers our purpose with a passion to always value the work we do together.

CMSgt Dawn M. Kolczynski
Chief, Medical Enlisted Force (CMEF) and Enlisted Corps Chief

Communicate Like a Leader: Connecting Strategically to Coach, Inspire, and Get Things Done
by Dianna Booher

In thirty-six brief chapters, Dianna Booher shows you how to communicate effectively to audiences up and down the organization so you can fulfill your most essential responsibilities as a leader.

The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World
by Jon Gordon

Jon Gordon shares what he has learned and provides a comprehensive framework on positive leadership filled with proven principles, compelling stories, practical ideas and practices that will help anyone become a positive leader.

The Servant: A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership
by James C. Hunter

With an introduction on using the principles of The Servant in your life and career, this book redefines what it means to be a leader.

5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There is Never Enough Time
by Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram

5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There Is Never Enough Time teaches you to shift into the right gear at the right time so that you can grow in your relational intelligence and increase your influence.

5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead
by Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram

5 Voices is a simple key which unlocks complicated relational dynamics and improves the health and alignment of all your relationships.

H3 Leadership: Stay Hungry. Be Humble. Always Hustle
by Brad Lomenick

Brad Lomenick shares his hard-earned insights from more than two decades of work alongside thought-leaders such as Jim Collins and Malcom Gladwell, Fortune 500 CEOs and start-up entrepreneurs.

How Successful People Lead: Taking Your Influence to the Next Level
by John C. Maxwell

The New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell explains how true leadership works.

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
by John C. Maxwell

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader gets straight to the heart of leadership issues.

The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork: Embrace Them and Empower Your Team
by John C. Maxwell

Learn how to build and maintain champion level teams, then lead your team to the peak level of success regardless of the field you're in.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Workbook: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
by John C. Maxwell

Discover the life-changing principles of Influence, Empowerment, Intuition, Respect, and Legacy that will transform your leadership - and your life.

The Leader's Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders
by John C. Maxwell

Dive into a masterclass with world-renowned leadership expert John C. Maxwell as he shares the most important lessons he’s learned about the leadership development process over the last quarter century.

Why Hospitals Should Fly: The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care
by John J. Nance

This book tells the story of a fictional U.S. hospital that undergoes a major transformation to become an institute totally focused on safety and quality.

Entrepreneurial Leadership: The Art of Launching New Ventures, Inspiring Others, and Running Stuff
by Joel Peterson

Make a lasting impact by launching new initiatives, inspiring others, and championing innovative approaches with this from-the-trenches guide by trusted executive mentor, entrepreneur, and leadership expert Joel Peterson.

The Infinite Game
by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek offers a framework for leading with an infinite mindset. On one hand, none of us can resist the fleeting thrills of a promotion earned or a tournament won, yet these rewards fade quickly. In pursuit of a just cause, we will commit to a vision of a future world so appealing that we will build it week after week, month after month, year after year. Although we do not know the exact form this world will take, working toward it gives our work and our life meaning.

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek

Start with Why asks (and answers) the questions: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

The Master Coach Model
by J. Arthur Smith

The Master Coach Model will accelerate your understanding of how to Pull-not push, Explore-not explain, and Listen-not lecture, to the success of both the coach and the coachee.

The Heart-Led Leader: How Living and Leading from the Heart Will Change Your Organization and Your Life
by Tommy Spaulding

The New York Times bestselling author Tommy Spaulding shows you how looking inwards - and leading with your heart - can transform your life.

No Ego: How Leaders Can Cut the Cost of Workplace Drama, End Entitlement, and Drive Big Results
by Cy Wakeman

The New York Times bestselling author of Reality-Based Leadership rejects the current fad of "engaging" employees and the emotional drama of "meeting their needs" - returning leadership to leaders and productivity to businesses.

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others
by Jim Collins

The findings of the Good to Great study will surprise many readers and shed light on virtually every area of management strategy and practice.

Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
by John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber

This charming story about a penguin colony in Antarctica illustrates key truths about how we deal with the issue of change: handle the challenge well and you can prosper greatly; handle it poorly and you put yourself at risk.

The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles From the World's Greatest Manufacturer
by Jeffrey K. Liker

The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool's Guide to Surviving with Grace
by Gordon MacKenzie

Originally self-published and already a business "cult classic", this personally empowering and entertaining look at the intersection between human creativity and the bottom line is now widely available to bookstores.

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective People Do Differently
by John C. Maxwell

In Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, John C. Maxwell shares five principles and five practices to develop connection skills.

The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Into Extraordinary
by Joseph Michelli

The Starbucks Experience contains a robust blend of home-brewed ingenuity and people-driven philosophies that have made Starbucks one of the world's “most admired” companies, according to Fortune magazine. With unique access to Starbucks personnel and resources, Joseph Michelli discovered that the success of Starbucks is driven by the people who work there-the “partners”-and the special experience they create for each customer.

The Patient Will See You Now: The Future of Medicine is in Your Hands
by Eric Topol

A revolutionary argument for how putting patients in charge will make healthcare better for everyone.

The Motivation Manifesto: 9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power
by Brendon Burchard

The Motivation Manifesto is a pulsing, articulate, ferocious call to claim our personal power. World-renowned high performance trainer Brendon Burchard reveals that the main motive of humankind is the pursuit of greater Personal Freedom.

Designing Your Life: Build a Life that Works for You
by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans

Using real-life stories and proven techniques like reframing, prototyping and mind-mapping, you will learn how to build your way forwards, step-by-positive-step, to a life that’s better by a design of your own making.

Training Camp: What the Best Do Better Than Everyone Else
by Jon Gordon

Training Camp is an inspirational story filled with invaluable lessons and insights on bringing out the best in yourself and your team.

The Compound Effect
by Darren Hardy

If you're serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you desire.

Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness
by Vex King

Vex King overcame adversity to become a source of hope for thousands of young people, and now draws from his personal experience and his intuitive wisdom.

Win In The Dark: Some think you shine under the bright lights, the bright lights only reveal your work in the dark
by Joshua Medcalf and Lucas Jadin

The story follows a young man whose grandfather helps guide him through discouragement and disappointment.

The Power of One More: The Ultimate Guide to Happiness and Success
by Ed Mylett

In The Power of One More, keynote speaker and performance expert Ed Mylett draws on 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and coach to top athletes, entertainers, and business executives to reveal powerful strategies to help you live an extraordinary "one more" life.

The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage
by Mel Robbins

Throughout your life, you've had parents, coaches, teachers, friends, and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing how to push yourself?

The Fred Factor: Every Person's Guide to Making the Ordinary Extraordinary!
by Mark Sanborn

In The Fred Factor, motivational speaker Mark Sanborn recounts the true story of Fred, the mail carrier who passionately loves his job and who genuinely cares about the people he serves. Because of that, he is constantly going the extra mile handling the mail - and sometimes watching over the houses - of the people on his route, treating everyone he meets as a friend. Where others might see delivering mail as monotonous drudgery, Fred sees an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those he serves.

Ask Powerful Questions: Create Conversations That Matter
by Will Wise

In Ask Powerful Questions, Will Wise explains how the questions we traditionally ask are virtually meaningless when it comes to establishing connection.

The Seven Decisions: Understanding the Keys to Personal Success
by Andy Andrews

Storyteller and life coach Andy Andrews has fast-forwarded the concept of success and what it takes to make it stick.

Dare to Dream and Work to Win: Understanding Dollars and Sense of Success in Network Marketing
by Thomas Barrett

Discover how wealth is actually created, the psychology of personal success, how to think and live as an entrepreneur, and how to succeed in network marketing.

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
by Brené Brown

Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability - the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome - is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall. It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong.

Everything is Figureoutable
by Marie Forleo

Whether you want to leave a dead-end job, heal a relationship, grow a business, master your money, or just find two free hours in your day, Everything is Figureoutable will train your brain to think more positively and help you break down any dream into manageable steps

Get Out of Your Own Way: A Skeptic’s Guide to Growth and Fulfillment
by Dave Hollis

In Get Out of Your Own Way, Dave Hollis tackles topics he once found it difficult to be honest about, things like his struggles with alcohol and his insecurities about being a dad.

Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals
by Rachel Hollis

Rachel Hollis points out the pitfalls, challenges, and excuses that stop us from achieving our aspirations.

The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit
by Mel Robbins

In her global phenomenon The 5 Second Rule, Mel Robbins taught millions of people around the world the five second secret to motivation. Now she's back with another simple, proven tool you can use to take control of your life: The High 5 Habit.

All In
by Mark Batterson

Readers will find Mark Batterson's writing filled with his customary vivid, contemporary illustrations as well as biblical characters like Shamgar and Elisha and Jonathan and ... Judas.

Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small
by Mark Batterson

Chase the Lion is more than a catch phrase; it’s a radically different approach to life. It’s only when we stop fearing failure that we can fully seize opportunity by the mane. With grit and gusto, the New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson delivers a bold message to everyone with a big dream.

If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God's what If Possibilities
by Mark Batterson

With his trademark enthusiasm and contagious joy, Mark Batterson helps readers overcome feelings of guilt, fear, and doubt because in Christ there is no condemnation.

The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life
by Robert B. Brooks and Sam Goldstein

A uniquely wise guide summarizing a vast amount of research into a practical set of strategies to overcome adversity and live a stress-hardy life.

Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
by Brené Brown

A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the author of Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection.

Look & Feel Great Over 40!: 40 Motivational Messages to Become a Better You
by Marcus Brugger

Get motivated to look and feel great over 40! 40 motivational messages to become a better you. This motivational book can read all at once or day by day, it can give you a large punch of motivation all at once or small doses each day.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
by Richard Carlson

Many of us would like to live our lives in a calmer and less stressful way, and to be able to let go of our problems. This book can show you how to stop letting the little things in life drive you crazy.

Eat for Life: The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss
by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

How to stay healthy and boost immunity with the New York Times bestselling author Dr. Joel Fuhrman's no-nonsense, results-driven nutrition plan.

Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling
by Anita A. Johnston Ph.D.

By weaving practical insights and exercises through a rich tapestry of multicultural myths, ancient legends, and folktales, Anita Johnston helps the millions of women preoccupied with their weight discover and address the issues behind their negative attitudes toward food.

The 12-Hour Walk: Invest One Day, Conquer Your Mind, and Unlock Your Best Life
by Colin O'Brady

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Impossible First, an inspiring blend of riveting adventure stories and life-changing wisdom that teaches us how to embark on a transformative one-day journey that will unlock our best lives.

Promises for Life for Women
by Zondervan

A motivational book of short quotes from the Bible.

You Are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame Resilience, and the Black Experience
by Tarana Burke and Brené Brown

Tarana Burke and Brené Brown bring together a dynamic group of Black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience.

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
by Robin DiAngelo

The New York Times bestselling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.

Navigating A Triple Pandemic: Healthcare Workers of Color Confront Racism in America, Health Disparities in Medicine & the Trauma of COVID-19
by Dr. Yolanda Lewis-Ragland

Navigating A Triple Pandemic is a mighty collective work of 15 Black and Brown health care champions who confront racism, health disparities and the trauma of COVID-19 head-on.

Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
by Isabel Wilkerson

The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
by Shawn Achor

Using stories and case studies from his work, Shawn Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work.

Dealing with the Elephant in the Room: Moving from Tough Conversations to Healthy Communication
by Dr. Mike Bechtle

Most people want to avoid tough conversations. Whether it's with a spouse, a friend, a boss, a coworker, or a child, tough conversations create high anxiety - and often lingering resentments. Communication expert Dr. Mike Bechtle offers practical help. He equips readers with the skills they need in order to handle conflict with the important people in their lives.

Communicate With Confidence!
by Dianna Booher

The classic business communication guide - updated for smart phones, social media, and other digital platforms.

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
by Brené Brown

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown, a leading expert on shame, authenticity, and belonging, shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living - a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
by Angela Duckworth

Psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed - be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people - that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
by Adam Grant

The New York Times bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take, and the forthcoming Hidden Potential examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life.

Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life
by Craig Groeschel

With all-new stories, science that explores the unique realities of how the teenage brain is wired, and visually-engaging callouts and short sections that appeal to teenage readers, Winning the War in Your Mind for Teens will help you.

Stillness is the Key: An Ancient Strategy for Modern Life
by Ryan Holiday

Stillness is the key to the self-mastery, discipline and focus necessary to succeed in this competitive, noisy world.

Listening Effectively: Achieving High Standards in Communication
by John Kline

This practical, learner-centered handbook was written by an experienced communicator who has taught thousands of corporate managers, military officers, and college students how to become better listeners.

Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown

In Essentialism, Greg McKeown shows you how to achieve what he calls the disciplined pursuit of less.

Have a Little Faith: A True Story
by Mitch Albom

In Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom offers a beautifully written story of a remarkable eight-year journey between two worlds - two men, two faiths, two communities - that will inspire readers everywhere.

Yeah, No. Not Happening.: How I Found Happiness Swearing Off Self-Improvement and Saying F*ck It All—and How You Can Too
by Karen Karbo

The author of the acclaimed, bestselling In Praise of Difficult Women delivers a hilarious feminist manifesto that encourages us to reject “self-improvement” and instead learn to appreciate and flaunt our complex, and flawed, human selves.

How Are You, Really?: Living Your Truth One Answer at a Time
by Jenna Kutcher

In How Are You, Really?, Jenna Kutcher teaches how to harness your power to take control of your life.

Greenlights
by Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey described the book as a collection of "stories, prayers, poems, people and places and a whole bunch of bumper stickers." The book includes stories and insights from McConaughey's life in chronological order.

Becoming
by Michelle Obama

In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her - from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address.

The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times
by Michelle Obama

In an inspiring follow-up to her bestselling memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today's highly uncertain world.

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives
by Mary Laura Philpott

From the bestselling author of I Miss You When I Blink comes a poignant and powerful new memoir that tackles the big questions of life, death, and existential fear with humor and hope.

This Is the Day: Reclaim Your Dream. Ignite Your Passion. Live Your Purpose.
by Tim Tebow

The New York Times best-selling sports star and media icon motivates readers to stop postponing dreams and start making them happen now because - this is the day.

WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power and Change the Game
by Abby Wambach

Based on her inspiring, viral 2018 commencement speech to Barnard College's graduates in New York City, New York Times bestselling author, two-time Olympic gold medallist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach delivers her empowering rally cry for women to unleash their individual power, unite with their pack, and emerge victorious together.

Assassin's Apprentice
by Robin Hobb

A glorious classic fantasy combining the magic of Ursula Le Guin's The Wizard of Earthsea with the epic Mastery of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

The Eye of the World: Book One of The Wheel of Time
by Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World, the first novel in Robert Jordan's New York Times bestselling epic fantasy series, The Wheel of Time, follows Moiraine Damodred as she arrives in Emond's Field on a quest to find the one prophesized to stand against The Dark One.

The End of Her
by Shari Lapena

Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Not a Happy Family.

The Jailhouse Lawyer
by James Patterson and Nancy Allen

From James Patterson, the world's bestselling author: a young lawyer takes on the judge who is destroying her hometown - and ends up in jail herself.

Dreamland
by Nicholas Sparks

From the acclaimed author of The Notebook comes a powerful novel about risking everything for a dream - and whether it’s possible to leave the past behind.

The Return
by Nicholas Sparks

In the romantic tradition of Dear John, an injured Navy doctor meets two extremely important women whose secrets will change the course of his life in this New York Times bestseller.

The Kill Chain: Defending America in the Future of High-Tech Warfare
by Christian Brose

From a former senior advisor to Senator John McCain comes an urgent wake-up call about how new technologies are threatening America's military might.

The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America's Finest Hour
by Andrei Cherny

In the tradition of the great narrative storytellers, Andrei Cherny recounts the exhilarating saga of the unlikely men who made the Berlin Airlift one of the great military and humanitarian successes of American history.

The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google
by Scott Galloway

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are the four most influential companies on the planet. Just about everyone thinks they know how they got there. Just about everyone is wrong.

The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War
by Malcolm Gladwell

In The Bomber Mafia, Malcolm Gladwell weaves together the stories of a Dutch genius and his homemade computer, a band of brothers in central Alabama, a British psychopath, and pyromaniacal chemists at Harvard to examine one of the greatest moral challenges in modern American history.

American Heroes: In the Fight Against Radical Islam
by Oliver North

In American Heroes, North offers an inspiring, first-hand account of the extraordinary men and women defending America against radical Islamic terror from his perspective as a forty year member of the United States military, a member of the National Security Council staff and serving as the U.S. counter-terrorism coordinator from 1983-1986.

Entrepreneurship

  • The Ed Mylett Show: The Ed Mylett Show showcases the greatest peak-performers across all industries in one place, sharing their journey, knowledge and thought leadership.

Leadership & Teamwork

  • Dare to Lead: Brené Brown has conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters, and more than a few troublemakers who are innovating, creating, and daring to lead.
  • A Bit of Optimism: Simon Sinek talk with people that inspire him about love, life, leadership, and silver linings.

Self-Improvement

  • Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik: Kwik Brain is a fun, fast-paced show designed to help busy people learn and achieve anything in a fraction of the time!