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