2022 Coast Guard Reading List
Welcome to the 2022 Coast Guard Reading List, the annual collection of recommendations from your shipmates to support your continuous professional and leadership development. The year’s list focuses on the theme “connecting individual purpose to the Coast Guard’s purpose.” This theme means different things to different people, which you’ll see reflected in the eclectic selections featured. Submissions were solicited from the Leadership Diversity Action Councils (LDACs) across the Coast Guard. The list goes beyond the traditional reading list and includes a variety of suggestions for you to read, listen to and watch.
“Beyond Diversity” by Rohit Bhargava and Jennifer Brown submitted by SKCM Sain-R “SKE” Edwards Jr., USCG Pacific Area (PAC-37 DSF) *not available via NavyOverdrive
“The reason I feel this book goes along with the theme of “Connecting individual purpose to the Coast Guard purpose,” is because diversity, equity, and inclusion are mission imperatives for the United States Coast Guard. No matter what walk of life we come from, or what values we believe in as individuals, we are joined by our Service’s core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty. The book provides a dozen actionable steps that any individual can implement immediately in no particular order. This book is a perfect example that can help bridge the gap between personal and organizational purpose.”
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“Mindset” by Carol Dweck submitted by LCDR Zeke Lyons, Desk Officer, International Port Security Program, DCO LDAC, CG Change Agent
“Based on my own experience, I believe that improving yourself improves the Coast Guard and connecting with your own purpose allows you to connect with the Coast Guard’s purpose. I’ve gone through a huge transformation over the past years, and “Mindset” is one of the top books that has guided me in that process and helped to understand my purpose. In fact, this has been at the top of my reading list for the past 10 years. I’ve also sent it to at least 8 future CO’s. This book focuses on adopting a growth mindset in ourselves and our teams, and by doing so provides so much freedom and so much expansion. If you haven’t read it yet and you are a boss, a parent, or just a person – drop everything and pick it up. Organizational culture can be transformed if we all approached the Coast Guard’s work from a growth mindset.”
“Mastery” by Robert Greene submitted by DC2 Dillon Buel, USCGC Glen Harris
“Mastery: Our “Life’s Task”, the first step before beginning an apprenticeship, is central to who we are as humans and serves as the starting point for our path to mastery. It’s more than just an occupation; it is a calling or vocation, meant to give us direction and purpose in our lives. We can examine the lives of past masters (Freddie Roach, Charles Darwin or even John Coltrane) in order to find and develop our own life’s task (purpose) and connect this to the missions our service performs.
“Leading from Anywhere – The Essential Guide to Managing Remote Teams” by David Burkus submitted by CAPT Gene McGuinness (CG-9324 FRC PM) via CDR Scott MacCumbee, CG-9 LDAC Co-Chair *not available via NavyOverdrive
“Individual purpose must be at the fore-front of working effectively within distributed teams and this book offers tools for leaders at all Coast Guard levels to incorporate.
A practical book for positively influencing leadership of teams and tackling the challenges faced to build culture, align effective lines of effort, maintain productivity, and avoid burn-out with various degrees of hybrid work environments
“Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action” by Simon Sinek submitted by Ms. Yvie Mondenge, DCO-I staff via CDR Scott MacCumbee, CG-9 LDAC Co-Chair
“The book discusses the significance of leadership, in particular leaders who inspire individuals to advance a common purpose. It ties into the theme of “connecting individual purpose to the Coast Guard’s purpose” because the CG inspires individual leadership, as well as leadership which advances the CG mission.”
“The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown submitted by LT Dave Chenlo, PACAREA Staff, LDAC Co-Chair, Alameda, CA
“While not a Coast Guard related book, it reflects the theme of connecting individual purpose to the organization’s purpose. The book is about a university crew and how they had to come together, fine tuning their individual efforts, to ultimately achieve national greatness. A little outside the box, but more of a fun read (based on real events). A change of pace from other past reading lists.”
“Let My People Go Surfing. The Education of a Reluctant Business Man. Including 10 More Years of Business Unusual” by Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia submitted by Jasmine Shanti, Diversity & Inclusion Communications Specialist, CG-1 LDAC
“It’s about values driven decision making. He challenges existing values that he observed embodied in the corporate world, including prioritizing short-term profit and growth over quality, sustainability, community, environment and health. How is this book aligned with “Connecting individual purpose to the Coast Guard’s purpose”?
PODCASTS
TED Radio Hour Podcast, a co-production by NPR and TED submitted by LT Merrill Gutowski, CG-1 & DCMS LDAC
“This podcast curates several TED Talks per episode centering around a common theme, then explores deeper into that theme. I love TED Talks to hear a wide variety of purpose-driven people, which often revitalizes my own drive toward my own purpose. Even when the TED speaker’s topic is completely unrelated to the Coast Guard, their energy is inspiring. I recommend starting with the August 7, 2020 episode “Our Relationship With Water,” which serves as a great reminder of why environmental protection is at the heart of so much we do in the Coast Guard.”
The Go-Giver Podcast Episode: 173 Creating Transformational Change by Greg Satell submitted by FORCECOM LDAC via LCDR Kristen R. Jaekel, FORCECOM LDAC Chair
“What does purpose have to do with creating transformational change? Everything. This episode of the Go-Giver podcast, one of my favorite podcasts, combines conversation about change, values, purpose, leadership, and movements which is the heart of creating change. It highlights the importance of understanding how to unite around shared purpose and communicate about shared values, among other things. If your purpose is to create transformational change, then this podcast is for you.”
ONLINE RESOURCES
“Leading in the B-Suite” biweekly LinkedIn newsletter submitted by Jordan Yahiro, CG-1 LDAC Co-Chair
“These newsletters are conversations with prominent Black leaders about life, race, and leadership. The leadership lessons are relevant to all aspiring and current leaders and often include inspiring stories of overcoming adversity. By touching on the interviewees’ personal and professional lives, the newsletters demonstrate how leaders find their own individual purpose and become successful in their respective organizations.”
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