Nate’s Notes 224: Admiral James Stavridis | Lifelong Leadership Lessons

Having dedicated his life to leading others, I’m all the more intrigued by the leadership lessons Admiral Stavridis shared.

First, to be a great leader, you have to be in shape. Leaders need energy and health, and sleep is a weapon. If you’re not rested, you’re not ready for battle.

Second, when Admiral Stavridis was Captain of a destroyer that failed inspection, it was his peers that had his back and saved him that day. Invest in our peer relationships because they will be honest with us and be unafraid to reach out.

Third, great leaders are readers. To be a reader is to lead a thousand lives. Every book is a simulator, whether we’re learning resilience from The Old Man and the Sea or leadership from the Godfather. Since conducting this interview, I have been reading The Admiral’s Bookshelf, and I love learning the lessons he learned from his top 25 books. And because of this conversation I created my own bookshelf of the 25 books that have most influenced me. I’ve pasted these in the show notes and on my website.

The Admiral’s final lesson is timeless. Be humble.

What great lessons from a great leader. All simple ideas. Please take them seriously.

James Stavridis Bio:

Admiral James Stavridis is a 4-Star Navy Admiral who served as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Following his military career, he served as Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Currently he serves as Partner and Vice Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. He also serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation.

Nate Meikle’s Bookshelf

1. The Book of Mormon & Bible
   Taught me about Jesus Christ, love, repentance, forgiveness, and endurance
2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
   Reminds me to avoid the superficial
3. Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
   Motivated me to become a professor
4. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
   The first book to get me excited about personal finance, one of the most important, underappreciated topics IMO.
5. A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
   Motivates me to be honest in all things
6. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
   Improved my communication skills dramatically
7. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
   Warns me of the dangers of infidelity
8. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
   Motivates me to live a life of integrity
9. My Personal Best by John Wooden
   Taught me about servant leadership and to treat friendship like a fine art
10. The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb
    Made me realize the importance of long tail events
11. Jim Trelease Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease
    Motivated me to teach my daughter to read at age 2, read tens of thousands of books to her (and our subsequent 3 children), and ultimately write my own book (Little Miss) about how to inspire children to love reading
12. Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath
    Taught me the importance of storytelling, and how to tell great stories
13. The Wise Heart by Jack Kornfield
    Taught me about Buddhism, and the three causes of human suffering (Grasping, Aversion, Delusion)
14. A Guide to the Good Life by William Irvine
    Taught me about Stoic Philosophy and the value of negative visualization and wanting the things we have
15. The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
    Taught me to not coddle my children and the dangers of cognitive distortions (and the value of cognitive behavioral therapy)
16. The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweill (published in 2005)
    Made me realize that AI is likely the most important invention ever, and persuaded me that Artificial General Intelligence will arrive during my lifetime.
17. Poor Charlie’s Almanack, by Charlie Munger
    The greatest collection of wisdom I’ve ever come across related to investing (specifically) and decision making (generally)
18. Thinking In Bets by Annie Duke
    Taught me about the dangers of resulting / outcome bias (judging a decision by the outcome rather than the process)
19. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
    Taught me the importance of seeing a negotiation from the other person’s point of view, and constantly showing them that you understand their position (by labeling, mirroring, and using an accusations audit)
20. Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson
    Taught me about elite ambition, determination, and focus
21. Endurance by Alfred Lansing
    Taught me about unflinching leadership
22. Good Energy by Casey Means
    Persuaded me to eliminate processed foods and exercise 5-6 days per week
23. Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
    Reminds me how capable children are
24. Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
    Inspires me to be courageous
25. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
    Reminds me to try to laugh every day, in every class, in every conversation