5 Books Every Aspiring Leader Must Read
Pope John Paul II wisely stated in the encyclical Centesimus Annus that “the fundamental error of socialism is anthropological in nature.” Entire volumes could be written analyzing this sentence alone. Yet for our purposes, it is enough to highlight something that is rarely acknowledged: more often than not, human endeavors, whether aimed at solving a problem or achieving a noble objective, fail because they misunderstand or ignore human nature itself.
Describing human nature in its entirety would require a far more extensive analysis. Yet, in simple terms, and drawing from Boethius’ classical definition of the person as “an individual substance of a rational nature,” we can say in a few words that the human being possesses both body and soul, dignity and transcendence, and requires certain fundamental goods, such as freedom and truth, in order to fully develop and flourish.
There have been countless political and social structures throughout history in which those in power have ignored this conception of the human person, bringing about different forms of suffering and tragedy for humanity. Therefore, if you aspire to become a leader capable of recognizing and avoiding these errors, the following books will help you identify them through their characters, conflicts, and underlying ideas. Though fictional, they demonstrate how great literary works are able to convey truths that transcend both time and place.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Plot: Farm animals overthrow their human owner hoping to build an equal society, but the pigs gradually become authoritarian rulers themselves.
It helps identify themes such as: Totalitarianism, propaganda, corruption, revolution, power, socialism, manipulation, and political elites.
Interesting fact: The novel is an allegory of the Soviet Revolution. Napoleon represents Stalin, Snowball represents Trotsky, and the pigs symbolize the ruling political elite.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Plot: The story of a man living under a totalitarian regime where the government controls language, history, information, and even private thought.
It helps identify themes such as: Surveillance, censorship, truth, authoritarianism, language, fear, propaganda, mass control, tyranny, media manipulation, and individual freedom.
Interesting fact: The novel remains especially relevant today in discussions surrounding censorship, cancel culture, political correctness, surveillance, and the manipulation of language and truth.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Plot: In a futuristic society, people are genetically engineered and kept obedient through pleasure, comfort, entertainment, and distraction.
It helps identify themes such as: Consumerism, technology, conformity, pleasure, social engineering, distraction, and freedom.
Interesting fact: This book invites reflection on control through pleasure rather than fear, modern culture, social media, consumerism, and the relationship between freedom and comfort.
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Plot: Frankl recounts his survival in Nazi concentration camps and develops the theory that having a sense of meaning and purpose in life can help human beings endure anything, and that inner freedom can never be taken away.
It helps identify themes such as: Purpose, suffering, resilience, dignity, psychology, hope, freedom, transcendence, and the human soul.
Interesting fact: His psychological approach, logotherapy, is based on the idea that the search for meaning is humanity’s primary motivation.
Blindness by José Saramago
Plot: A mysterious epidemic causes mass blindness, leading society to collapse into chaos, fear, and brutality. The novel shows how moral blindness can be even more dangerous than physical blindness.
It helps identify themes such as: Civilization, morality, chaos, fear, life in society, survival, social collapse, virtues, social order, and ethics.
Interesting fact: Saramago intentionally avoids giving most characters names, making the story feel universal.
I invite you to read these books carefully, paying attention to every detail, searching for parallels with reality, and placing yourself within the story itself. Who would you want to be? Who would you never want to become? Would you have acted the same way as the protagonists? What lesson does each story leave for you personally?
If you feel called to impact the world, you must first understand people. Use these books as tools to better understand human nature, society, power, suffering, freedom, and ultimately, yourself.
