Best books for new, first-time managers

I recently asked on Twitter: “what book would you recommend most for new, first-time managers?” It’s been a while since I’ve been a first-time manager or managed first-time managers directly, so I was curious. Below is the list of what folks recommended. The categories were added by me after realizing an unstructured list of 35+ books would be too overwhelming. I certainly haven’t read all of these books but put some notes in the list next to books I have read and a few notes next to ones I haven’t read but know something about. If you have a book you think should be here and isn’t, email me (hello@chaddickerson.com). I’ll also include this in the newsletter I’m launching (more info here).

General management & leadership

• High Output Management (huge fan of this book, wish I had read it long before I did. I recommend pairing it with a book that delves into the emotional aspects of leadership.)
• The Essential Drucker (absolutely love Drucker — much of what he wrote 50 years ago is more relevant than anything you read today. I posted about Drucker and culture change about five years ago)
• Creativity, Inc. (great book from Pixar founder Ed Catmull)
• Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time (recommended by Beth Comstock on Twitter with these words: “Building internal & external networks important for 1st x mgrs – ask for help.”)
• The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter (Eric Hellweg over at HBR said on Twitter this is one of their all-time best sellers. Hadn’t read, now on my must-read list!)
• Yoga Wisdom at Work: Finding Sanity Off the Mat and On the Job (intriguing suggestion via email by @biggreenpen)
• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t
• Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers into Leaders
• Why Should Anyone Be Led by You? What It Takes to Be an Authentic Leader
• Managing Genius: Master the art of managing people 
• Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter
• Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
• Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader
• The New One Minute Manager
• The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever

Tech management and leadership

Note: having been a CTO and CEO, I recommend reading these books alongside the more general management books. An engineering leader with strong general management chops and business skills is a rare and valuable breed. 

• The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change (many recs for this book)
• Managing Humans: Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager
• Becoming a Technical Leader
• Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management

Communication

• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity (lots of recs for this book)
• Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
• Nonviolent Communication

Culture

• Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone (from Brene Brown, an exploration of what true belonging means – definitely want to read this)
• The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t
• Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business

 Prioritization and results

• Radical Focus: Achieving Your Most Important Goals with Objectives and Key Results 
• Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It (describes something called a “Results-Only Work Environment,” which is why I’m including it in this category)
• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
• The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
• The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management
• Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Manager’s Guide to Getting Results (not all organizations are high-growth startups – thanks to Jay Lee for recommending it. I’m on a couple of non-profit boards and will be buying copies.)

Psychology and how people think

• Thinking, Fast and Slow (thanks to @courtneynash who emailed me about this one: “it’s one of the best distillations of how people think and reason from a true leader in the field”)
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Carol Dweck’s well-regarded work on growth vs. fixed mindset)
• Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions (love this book)
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0

Other (literature, non-fiction with important themes)

• How Will You Measure Your Life? (by Clayton Christensen, best known for Innovator’s Dilemma)
• The Prince
• Lord of the Flies (Ha. . . I think. Gulp.)
• A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster (Akiva Leffert said on Twitter: “Not a management book per se, but gets you thinking about how people find their best selves”)

Michael Dearing suggested taking his very well-regarded general management course, so I mention that here. Even if you can’t take the course, check out page two of the syllabus for some great readings. Thanks, Michael!

Again, if you have a book you think should be here and isn’t, email me!(hello@chaddickerson.com) I’ll try to keep it updated.