ABOUT THIS EPISODE
What happens when you stop drifting in your learning—and start paying attention on purpose?
In this year-end review episode of The New Generation Leader Podcast, Aaron reflects on one simple but transformative habit: tracking what he read in 2025. What started as a sobering realization — he only read 6 books in all of 2024! — turned into an unexpected journey through 61 books, spanning leadership, sales, culture, memoirs, history, fiction, and everything in between.
Read the full list > AaronLee.co/61-books
In this episode, Aaron shares:
- Why he set a bold reading goal (and how it quietly reshaped his mindset)
- The themes that surprised him most
- The books that left a lasting imprint
- How reading outside your comfort zone expands leadership perspective
- Why slowing down, changing pace, and even reading fiction matters
Whether you’re a lifelong reader or someone trying to rediscover the habit, this episode is an invitation to keep learning, stay curious, and enter the new year with a wider lens.
Show Outline
00:00 – Year-End Reflection & the Reading Wake-Up Call
03:30 – Setting an Audacious Goal: A Book a Week
08:30 – The System That Made 61 Books Possible
14:30 – Foundational Leadership & Mindset Reads
21:00 – Expanding Perspective Through History & Memoir
28:30 – Brand Stories, Culture & Long-Term Vision
36:30 – The Unexpected Sales Theme of the Year
44:30 – Fiction, Downshifting & Reading for Enjoyment
51:30 – Final Reflections & Looking Ahead
Top 5 Books
1. Slow Productivity — Cal Newport
2. Shoe Dog — Phil Knight
3. Love as a Business Strategy — Mohammad Anwar
4. It Takes What It Takes — Trevor Moawad
5. The Barn — Wright Thompson
