New to the whole “manager” thing? Get your feet wet by checking out these 11 most recommended leadership books.
Congratulations on your role as a new manager! You’re likely feeling 80% excited… and 20% terrified. That’s completely normal 🙂 Becoming a first-time manager is intimidating. You’re about to start flexing skills you might never have had to use before.
Folks who were once your peers are now reporting to you. You’re now included in more high-level leadership meetings. Your entire focus in what you do has shifted, too: Your ultimate responsibility is no longer to just get your own work done. It’s to ensure the success of your team’s work.
So, how do you start getting into the mindset of a good manager?
I asked almost 1,000 leaders in The Watercooler, our online community in Know Your Team for managers, what helped them transition into their first managerial role and the majority of them said reading has helped guide them into the leader they are today. Here are the top 11 must-read books that have helped them become better managers and leaders for their teams:
- Managing Oneself, by Peter Drucker
- Mindset: Changing The Way You Think To Fulfill Your Potential, by Carol Dweck
- High Output Management, by Andrew Grove
- Drive, by Daniel H. Pink
- Radical Candor, by Kim Scott
- Peopleware, by Tom DeMarco
- The Manager’s Path, by Camille Fournier
- How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- The New One Minute Manager, by Ken Blanchard
- Google’s Re:Work
- Unintuitive Things I’ve Learned about Management: Part 1 and Part 2, by Julie Zhuo
Big caveat here, though: Becoming a good leader requires much more than just reading books. Much of what you’ll learn is through experience: Trial and error, talking to your own team, and talking to other leaders who’ve been in your shoes before. Books are merely a primer to give you a foundation for what it takes to be a good manager. These 11 books are a good start.
💪Looking for more guidance as a new manager? You’ll want to check out Know Your Team – our software helps you run better one-on-one meetings, get automatic team status updates, and build team rapport – all in one place. See for yourself and give Know Your Team a shot today.
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