Trail library
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Books, podcasts and films that go with each camp. Finish one, write your three key takeaways, and earn +40 XP.
Camp 1 · Accelerating Wisdom
On Becoming a Leader ↗
Warren Bennis
People begin to become leaders the moment they decide for themselves how to be.
Mindset ↗
Carol S. Dweck
Fixed and growth mindsets — and how what we believe about people shapes what they become.
It Worked for Me ↗
Colin Powell
Lessons in life and leadership from a lifetime of leading people.
Glory ↗
Edward Zwick (film, 1989)
A poignant example of a leader's growth through experience and reflection: Colonel Robert Gould Shaw learns to lead by leading.
Camp 2 · JourneyLines and Core Values
Man's Search for Meaning ↗
Viktor Frankl
Between stimulus and response is a space, and in it our freedom to choose.
◆ Prep · Think Differently
Outliers ↗
Malcolm Gladwell
Success grows from opportunity, culture and accumulated experience — how your story shaped you.
The Curiosity Shop ↗
Brené Brown & Adam Grant
Two researchers question their own assumptions out loud — curiosity about yourself is where self-awareness starts.
Moneyball ↗
Bennett Miller (film, 2011)
Billy Beane questions how everyone in baseball judges talent — and wins by thinking differently.
Camp 3 · Leading Others with Emotional Intelligence
Primal Leadership ↗
Goleman, Boyatzis & McKee
How we handle ourselves and our relationships — and why emotions are contagious.
Parks and Recreation — Ron Swanson's birthday ↗
NBC (TV series)
Leslie gives Ron the leadership he needs, not the party she wants to give.
How to Win Friends and Influence People ↗
Dale Carnegie
Genuine interest in others, listening well, and seeing things from the other person's point of view.
Camp 4 · Difficult Conversations
Difficult Conversations ↗
Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton & Sheila Heen
Every hard conversation is really three: what happened, how we feel, and what it says about who we are.
Camp 6 · Building or Diminishing
Building or Diminishing ↗
Doug Crandall
With every interaction we are either building people or diminishing them. Builders expect excellence and communicate belief.
Atomic Habits ↗
James Clear
Lasting change comes from small habits and the identity behind them.
Hidden Figures ↗
Theodore Melfi (film, 2016)
Talent rises when leaders see it and clear the way.
Ted Lasso ↗
Apple TV+ (TV series)
A builder of people: belief, kindness and high expectations.
Camp 7 · Trust
The Leadership Moment ↗
Michael Useem
The source of the Mann Gulch story, and eight more moments when leadership was tested.
◆ Prep · Decision-Making
Apollo 13 ↗
Ron Howard (film, 1995)
Calm decisions under pressure — "failure is not an option."
Camp 8 · Leading Teams
Extreme Ownership ↗
Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Leaders own everything in their world — and teams rise to that standard.
Band of Brothers ↗
HBO (miniseries)
Easy Company's cohesion, forged in training and tested in combat.
Miracle ↗
Gavin O'Connor (film, 2004)
Herb Brooks builds a team whose name on the front matters more than the one on the back.
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team ↗
Patrick Lencioni
Trust is the foundation: without it, teams avoid conflict, dodge commitment and accountability, and lose sight of results.
Camp 10 · Shaping Culture
The Bear ↗
FX (TV series)
Changing a kitchen's culture — chaos, standards and "every second counts."
Acquired ↗
Ben Gilbert & David Rosenthal
The stories behind great companies — and the cultures that built them.
Camp 11 · Permission to Speak Freely
Permission to Speak Freely ↗
Doug Crandall & Matt Kincaid, PhD
Why candor feels unsafe, and how leaders cultivate a culture where people share questions, ideas and honest feedback.
Team of Rivals ↗
Doris Kearns Goodwin
Lincoln draws his rivals into his cabinet and leads them toward a shared purpose.
Camp 12 · Leading Change
Leadership on the Line ↗
Ronald Heifetz & Marty Linsky
Staying alive through the dangers of leading adaptive change.
Leading Change ↗
John P. Kotter
The eight-step process for change — starting with a sense of urgency and a guiding coalition.
Remember the Titans ↗
Boaz Yakin (film, 2000)
A coach leads a newly integrated team — and a town — through change no one asked for.
▲ The Summit
Thirteen Days ↗
Robert F. Kennedy
The Cuban Missile Crisis from inside the room: how a team argued its way to a better decision.