Of all the things I’ve done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal.Walt Disney
Airmen,
As leaders, the breadth and depth of our knowledge directly influence our ability to make informed decisions, drive innovation and ensure operational excellence. This Leadership Library release aims to equip you with resources to deepen your understanding of the many facets of modern military leadership and provides the insights needed to navigate the complexities of the contemporary operational landscape.
As Airmen, understanding the historical underpinnings of Air Force successes and failures is crucial for informed strategic planning. Why Air Forces Fail: The Anatomy of Defeat provides invaluable insights into the importance of logistics, infrastructure and proactive leadership. History shows that the decisions made today will dictate the readiness of tomorrow.
Clear and impactful communication is essential to our mission's success. Made to Stick offers powerful, practical strategies for ensuring our messages resonate, from simple and unexpected ideas to emotional and credible storytelling. Embracing these principles can transform how we convey information, enhancing our overall effectiveness.
Understanding the complexities of modern conflict is essential to our strategic readiness. The podcast Conflict Occurs When Debate Fails offers profound insights into the ethical and strategic dimensions of contemporary warfare, from nuclear deterrence to cyber threats and misinformation. Engaging with this resource will enhance your grasp of conflict resolution, leadership and the critical role of accountability in military decisions.
As we navigate the integration of artificial intelligence into our operations, equipping ourselves with the right skills is central to success. The article Embracing Gen AI at Work offers insights into harnessing AI effectively through intelligent interrogation, judgment integration and reciprocal apprenticing. I want each of you to be empowered to leverage emerging technology confidently and ethically. The Air Force is leaning forward to be at the forefront of responsible experimentation with Generative AI and has recently launched NIPRGPT. I encourage you to test and explore the tools that are now available to you.
These insights will not only bolster your leadership capabilities but also contribute to the overall mission readiness and success of our Airmen. Stay informed, stay prepared and lead with confidence. These titles can be accessed and tracked through the E-Learning CSAF Library Journey. We’re moving out, and I could not be prouder of the Airmen who are leading during this time of consequence.

Editor’s note: The CSAF Leadership Library is a fluid set of media selected by Gen. Allvin that evolves as novel ideas are published, recorded and debated. New entries will be added periodically throughout the year.

Why Air Forces Fail: The Anatomy of Defeat
Why Air Forces Fail examines the complex, often deep-seated, reasons for the catastrophic failures of the air forces of various nations. Higham and Harris divide the air forces into three categories of forces that never had a chance to win, such as Poland and France; forces that started out victorious but were ultimately defeated, such as Germany and Japan; and finally, those that were defeated in their early efforts yet rose to victory, such as the air forces of Britain and the United States. In all cases, the failures stemmed from deep, usually prewar factors that were shaped by the political, economic, military, and social circumstances in the countries.
Made to Stick
In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the human scale principle, using the Velcro Theory of Memory and creating curiosity gaps.

Conflict Occurs When Debate Fails
Debate is a form of conflict that is played out through words, arguments, civility and the capability to exchange ideas with people we disagree with. But what happens when debate fails — and what leads leaders and countries to fall into conflict?

Embracing Gen AI at Work
This article describes the three kinds of “fusion skills” you need to get the best results from gen AI. Intelligent interrogation involves instructing large language models to perform in ways that generate better outcomes—by, say, breaking processes down into steps or visualizing multiple potential paths to a solution.