Out of all the books you've read, which one shaped your leadership philosophy or decision making the most?

The Bible.

The Ranger Handbook.

To all m brand new LT's and up and comming NCO's, I have them read, "The Mission, The Men, and Me" by Pete Blaber

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie. Not only does it teach you how to improve your communication style, but by applying the lessons to exchanges with subordinates and leaders you will notice an improvement in work relations. I guarantee it!

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by. Dale Carnegie.

"My Share of the Task" by General Stanley McChrystal is an amazing read. Here's a link to a book list that is full of gems.
http://jsou.libguides.com/readinglists

Just read this book recently because it is a new book, but to me, it is one of the better books on leadership....Extreme Leadership by Jocko Willnik and Leif Babin. It talks about leadership in the military and then relates it to the civilian sector. I definitely recommend reading it.

Leadership is such a dynamic subject, there isn't just one. That said, as the leader and mentor "The Heart of a Leader" by Ken Blanchard has help me throughout the years. But the foundation of a good leader is being a good follower, so "A Message to Garcia" Elbert Hubbard will always be my favorite.

I'm gonna go against the norm here (most of the other responses are and will be military or politically based). The book that most shaped my leadership philosophy was Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi.

Yes, I realize that it is a children's book. But here is my reasoning behind this choice:

1. We learn most about leadership and the type of person we are as children, when we are malleable and impressionable. This book showed me many things.
2. Bear, the main adult role in the book is a true leader. He leads by not only word, but deed. He shows passion, fury, enthusiasm, love, horror, pain, and pleasure in everything he does in this book.
3. Bear shows Crispin what it means to not only be a wholesome adult, but how to lead others this way (though it doesn't follow forward to see if Crispin applies any of it), and also allows Crispin to make his mistakes the same way a father would. Let them make the choice, and deal with the consequences of their actions.

For these reasons, Crispin: Cross of Lead by Avi most shaped my leadership philosophy: Train them to follow you, give them an example to follow, and lead them as you would your own children.

I would offer two for separate reasons. First, "Primal Leadership" by Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee. The contents cover several distinct leadership styles and the key aspects of emotional intelligence (a critical element of leadership).
Second, I would offer most books by Peter Drucker (he wrote 39). Two of my favorites are these: "Classic Drucker" and "The Five Most Important Questions (you will ever ask about your organization)".