If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
“Started From the Bottom” – Drake
“Fake It Till You Make It” – Dreamers
“Money for Nothing” – Dire Straits
“The Pretender” – Foo Fighters
Bonus: “Clown” – Korn
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I read a lot of sci-fi war books. They strip leadership down to what it actually is—decision-making under pressure, with incomplete information and real consequences. No buzzwords, no PowerPoints, no hiding. It’s a useful contrast to the corporate world, where those same dynamics exist but are often disguised. What I write is grounded in business, but influenced by that same reality: leadership isn’t theory—it’s behavior under pressure.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
The Forever War – Joe Haldeman
Old Man’s War – John Scalzi
Red Rising series – Pierce Brown
Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card (worth revisiting since it hits differently every time), and the occasional business/psychology book—mainly to compare theory to reality.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The MBA classroom scene—where students are asked what they think about MBAs, and everyone gives the expected answers… until one honest answer breaks the illusion. That moment captures the entire book: people know the truth, they just don’t say it.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I write in bursts—early mornings, late nights, and occasionally after a frustrating day dealing with work politics. That’s usually when the filter disappears, and the most honest parts get written. Then I come back later and refine it into something readable. Also, I typically have a cat in my arms or a dog at my feet… and sometimes a glass of regret—I mean Guinness—serving as my coat of arms.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“If—” by Rudyard Kipling has always resonated with me—especially the focus on discipline, composure, and accountability under pressure. Paired with a simpler idea: “Give rise to the mind while abiding nowhere.”
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
That competence matters more than credentials—and you don’t need permission to think for yourself.
D.M. Christensen is the author of the new book M.B.A: Discover the Truth About Leadership
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