15 Management Books Every Leader Should Read

Forbes

2 days ago

Management professionals have a challenging but rewarding job, leading their employees to new heights and encouraging their growth. The best management books for managers and leaders can help these supervisors improve at and excel in their jobs. From offering actionable ways to inspire employees to reminding managers that they don't know it all, these works can open doors to promotions and boost productivity. Anyone who aspires to achieve bigger things needs a game plan. This list of books for managers can help you create your plan and execute it to perfection while motivating your employees to bring their own A games to work.
Top Books For Leadership And Management
The management category includes mostly self help books, with the occasional memoir and a few communication books. These titles can aid current and aspiring leaders by introducing them to new strategies, providing step-by-step guidance for navigating challenging situations, and helping them gain confidence in their skills.
Common themes within these books include finding ways to work smarter and not harder, listening to employees' feedback, projecting confidence and following your instincts. These rankings are based on the books' commercial success, the authors' reputations and breadth of knowledge, and the works' critical acclaim.
Longtime Morgan Stanley executive Carla A. Harris, former chair of the National Women's Business Council, shares lessons in leadership that she has learned firsthand. She examines both her mistakes and successes, revealing lots of little lessons (like entering situations expecting to win) in an engaging voice.
This book is best for those looking for a mentor. Carla A. Harris's Expect to Win is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
As the leaders of the Iraq War's most-decorated special forces unit, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin clearly know a lot about motivation and goal-setting. They share lessons sharpened in combat, illuminating how these leadership principles that helped U.S. forces topple insurgents can also be deployed in corporations.
This book is best for leaders in large organizations. Jocko Willink's and Leif Babin's Extreme Ownership is available from publisher Macmillan.
Billionaire Subhash Chandra's path to becoming one of India's most successful businessmen was not linear. His family ran grain mills in a small town, and he describes himself as 'the ultimate outsider' as he worked to pay off his family's debts and eventually became wealthy from exporting and then starting India's first private TV network.
This book is best for those who consider themselves nontraditional managers. Pranjal Sharma's and Subhash Chandra's The Z Factor is available from publisher HarperCollins.
Simon Sinek's New York Times bestseller takes a page from the military, where officers eat meals last, ensuring those under them receive the nourishment they require first. Sinek applies this same idea to organizations, arguing that by 'eating last' and building trust in tending to their employees' needs, leaders can create healthy, fulfilling environments.
This book is best for leaders trying to change attitudes within their workplaces. Simon Sinek's Leaders Eat Last is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is unavoidable—so if you can't beat it, join it. Geoff Woods argues that using AI's powers instead of resisting their encroachment can assist leaders with better decision-making. The book includes QR codes for interactive learning and lots of frameworks to apply to your own situation.
This book is best for tech-savvy leaders. Geoff Woods's The AI-Driven Leader is available from publisher AI Thought Leadership.
Former NFL player and New York Times bestselling author Emmanuel Acho lays out a plan for leaders to step up to an even higher calling: becoming changemakers. Drawing on his own improbable life story, he outlines ways to ignore conventional wisdom and limits while embracing a new mindset where anything is possible.
This book is best for those who love powerful books about life changes. Emmanuel Acho's Illogical is available from publisher Macmillan.
This New York Times bestseller tells the tale of a fictional manager coming into an undesirable leadership situation and how she navigates it, recognizing the five behaviors that can negatively influence a team. Patrick Lencioni also explains ways to counteract those pitfalls and get employees back on the same page.
This book is best for managers trying to solve organizational dysfunction. Patrick Lencioni's The Five Dysfunctions of a Team is available from publisher Wiley.
When you view life as a series of negotiations, as author Chris Voss does, the way to navigate it successfully becomes pretty clear—master the art of difficult conversations. Voss, a former FBI negotiator, advises on how empathy and careful listening can aid in the power of persuasion.
This book is best for leaders who struggle with communication. Chris Voss's Never Split the Difference is available from HarperCollins.
When Julie Zhuo was promoted to a leadership role at 25, she felt excited—and overwhelmed. She didn't know how to balance her employees' interests with her company's while maintaining her personal integrity. Over the years, she learned, and she imparts her knowledge in this easily digestible narrative.
This book is best for new managers or those seeking relationship books. Julie Zhuo's The Making of a Manager is available from publisher Penguin Random House.
This new edition of the classic leadership book has been updated for a new generation of leaders. It walks readers through ways to set goals while maintaining emotional balance in challenging periods. Mother Teresa Prize for Global Peace and Leadership winner John C. Maxwell shares his own anecdotes between lessons.
This book is best for those who want to help others become better leaders as well. John C. Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is available from publisher HarperCollins.
A former George gubernatorial candidate and the first Black woman to deliver a response to the State of the Union, Stacey Abrams is one of the most recognizable political leaders of her generation. For most of her career, she has served in the minority party, so her book focuses on how outsiders can step forward.
This book is best for those outside of traditional leadership structures. Stacey Abrams's Lead from the Outside is available from Macmillan.
An updated version of the classic One Minute Manager adapted for a more tech-driven workforce, the book shares three central secrets to leading people and details why they work. The usable tips translate especially well for new or young managers who want to learn more about delegation after years of doing.
This book is best for inexperienced leaders. Ken Blanchard's and Spencer Johnson's The New One Minute Manager is available from publisher HarperCollins.
From three well-known leaders at McKinsey, this book challenges leaders to reimagine their roles. Middle managers, they argue, are perfectly positioned to close the ground between upper management and employees while carrying organizations through periods of dramatic change. It also invites these managers to become shapers of the new world of work.
This book is best for middle managers. Bill Schaninger's Bryan Hancock's and Emily Field's Power to the Middle is available from publisher Harvard Business Review.
Harvard Business Review is one of the most respected business-focused media organizations, and this book compiles much of its knowledge related to becoming a better manager. It includes self-assessments that can guide managers to the right strategies and exercises to help work through new approaches alongside first-person stories from managers.
This book is best for new managers looking to develop management philosophies. Harvard Business Review's Harvard Business Review Manager's Handbook is available from publisher Harvard Business Review.
There is a reason The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People has sold more than 40 million copies. The enduring wisdom of this book has spanned generations of workers and a tech revolution because it is so sound. It recommends core habits—from being proactive to sharpening the saw—to stay motivated and move forward.
This book is best for those struggling with productivity or connection. Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is available from publisher Simon & Schuster.
Bottom Line
The best books for managers and leaders educate while also entertaining. All of these authors write in an engaging manner that will help you fly through the book while learning many things you can apply to your professional life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Are Good Books On Productivity?
Leaders can become better managers by increasing their own productivity and giving their employees tips. Two valuable books on productivity are:
Deep Work by Cal Newport (2016) gives tips for avoiding distractions and staying on task in a high-tech world.
Atomic Habits by James Clear (2018) guides readers through ways to adopt new habits while avoiding the pitfalls that often prevent such habit-forming.
What Are Good Time Management Books?
Managing your time better will benefit you and your employees, giving you more time to lead. Great time management books include:
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen (2002) includes organizational tips and tricks to show readers ways to focus their time more effectively.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (2021), a New York Times bestseller, advises people to use their extremely limited time prioritizing what's important and avoiding gimmicky 'life hacks.'
What Are Good Project Management Books?
Project management can be tough, as many people struggle with what to prioritize and how to balance their limited time. Two helpful project management books are:
How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner (2023) looks at lessons from projects that went wildly wrong and how to help your own go right.
Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager by Kory Kogon and Suzette Blakemore (2024) offers sound advice for those who are managing projects but have never had formal project management training.
What Are Good Product Management Books?
Product management ranges from ideating and hatching a product to guiding it through its lifecycle. Two informative books about product management include:
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore (2014) explains the selling and marketing side of bringing a product to market, with some excellent insights into managing the product's rollout.
Understanding Michael Porter: The Essential Guide to Competition and Strategy by Joan Magretta (2011) tells the story of business consultant Michael Porter and his five forces, explaining many misconceptions about product management.
What Are Good Books For New Managers?
Good books for new managers prepare them to lead and challenge them to think strategically. Two terrific options include:
The First-Time Manager (7th ed.) by Jim McCormick (2021) has sold more than 500,000 copies and provides actionable tips on leading meetings, hiring, motivational techniques and remaining calm under pressure.
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier (2016) aids managers in homing in on the essential questions they need to ask their team to help them work smarter.