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Being a manager can be lonely and daunting. Should you fire a person? Is your company’s new product worth the investment? Should you spend the money on a new IT system? And what about the competition?
These are the kinds of challenges that face any business, whether a startup or a multi-billion behemoth. And yes, even the most seasoned managers have struggled to make the right decisions, inspire the troops and deal with the risks.
There is, of course, no shortage of management books to help out. In fact, it's industry unto itself—with some authors creating entirely new business ventures selling management advice through books, live keynotes, podcasts and webinars.
When it comes to picking the best management books, here’s are seven that will change the way you lead:
Words That Change Minds by Shelle Rose Charvet
Mark Twain once quipped: “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” For managers, saying a few words that are off the mark can have major adverse consequences. But in Shelle Rose Charvet’s Words That Change Minds, she details the Language and Behavior Profile (LAB) system, which helps to decode, predict and influence others. All this goes back to her extensive research—across more than 30 countries—since the mid-1990s.
Loonshots by Safi Bahcall
For large organizations, management is often about watching costs and evolving the product line. But this approach falls short when it comes to innovation. Usually, new ideas are considered too risky. But Safi Bahcall argues this could doom a company’s long-term prospects. In his book, he takes an in-depth look at creating what he calls "loonshots" that can transform a company, as seen with Pixar, American Airlines and Merck. But his views are not about making radical changes to culture but instead looking to make incremental micro-changes to the organization structure.
Trillion Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle
This is the story of Bill Campbell, who started his career as a college football coach. But he would make an amazing professional transition by becoming a coach and mentor to some of the world’s top tech leaders, including Steve Jobs, Larry Page, Sheryl Sandberg and Eric Schmidt (one of this book's co-authors). Campbell was certainly tough, using colorful language and metaphors. He also had clear-cut principles about being a CEO like: don't strive for consensus but seek the best decision, and start with the toughest problems first.
Leadership In Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin is known for her fascinating histories, including Team of Rivals and The Bully Pulpit. But her latest books are about leadership. She goes into the backgrounds of American figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. She shows how they quickly learned valuable lessons from their mistakes. But the best part of the book is where Goodwin demonstrates how these leaders met tough challenges and crises, such as dealing with slavery and economic depression. This book delivers lessons in history as well as a dose of inspiration for any leader.
Powerful by Patty McCord
Netflix has upended the entertainment industry—in terms of the business model, technology and content strategy. Part of this has been the result of an obsession with creating a unique culture. Patty McCord, who was the chief talent officer from 1998 to 2012, writes about this in her compelling book, Powerful. Instead of looking for incentives and procedures, she focuses on finding top talent who crave challenges and are willing to accept honest feedback. More important, she believes continuous communications of the mission is key to keeping up enthusiasm and morale.
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Brené Brown, a professor at the University of Houston, spent seven years writing Dare to Lead, involving the interviews of more than 150 leaders. Throughout her reporting, she has developed a profile that goes against some of the major conventions in management. For example, while she believes having courage is important, there also needs to be vulnerability—and this is far from being a sign of weakness. She also highlights that building trust is often about asking for help.
Measure What Matters by John Doerr
Billionaire John Doerr is one of the world’s top venture capitalists, having invested in companies like Amazon and Google. One of his keys to success is something known as OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), which are focused on setting and tracking goals. According to Doerr, they can lead to superpowers like focusing on what matters; aligning the team; allowing for transparency, and stretching for the amazing. The book is also chockfull of detailed case studies from companies like Intel, Intuit and yes, Google.
