Start with Why explores how leaders can inspire cooperation and action by starting with purpose rather than process. Sinek introduces the Golden Circle framework—Why, How, What—and shows how great organizations communicate from the inside out. Essential reading for engineering managers who want to inspire their teams by connecting daily work to a larger mission and purpose.
When to read: When you need to inspire your team with purpose and vision
Shape Up introduces Basecamp's great concept of the 6-week development cycle methodology that replaces traditional sprint planning with structured problem-solving phases. This book is completely free to read online and teaches how to 'shape' work properly before development begins, giving teams uninterrupted time to build meaningful features while avoiding the endless cycle of backlogs and feature creep. Perfect for engineering managers looking to implement a more sustainable and effective development process.
When to read: When your team feels stuck in endless sprints
Made to Stick teaches the great framework for making ideas memorable and impactful. Perfect for engineering managers who need to communicate complex technical concepts, drive organizational change, or ensure their vision sticks with their team. The book provides practical strategies to make your ideas Simple, Unexpected, Concrete, Credible, Emotional, it's all told through Stories.
When to read: When you need to communicate a vision or drive change
Switch provides a simple framework for implementing change when change is hard. For engineering managers driving organizational or team changes, this book offers practical strategies to address both the rational and emotional aspects of change, making the process more effective and sustainable. A great read in general even for the non-managerial audience.
When to read: When leading organizational or team transformations
John does a great job removing the BS from the OKR methodology and processes and explaining how it can be applied in any organization. It's a great read for engineering managers, from small to big organizations looking to implement OKRs in their teams.
When to read: When setting up goal-setting frameworks for your team
Range speaks to the value of a generalist mindset in complex and messy fields(Like startups), trumping specialization. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is highlighted as the best way to learn, and frequent quitters often end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors are those who cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. It's a real eye-opener for career growth and organizational design.
When to read: When rethinking career paths or hiring strategies
Build is a standout book for creators and innovators. It challenges traditional views on success, advocating for resilience, creativity, and authenticity in our projects. This guide is more than a manual; it's a deep dive into making impactful work that lasts. It's changed how I approach my creations, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to make something truly significant.
When to read: When building something from scratch or launching a new product
Storyworthy will teach you to be a better storyteller, and to make storyteller part of your daily work. It's a great read for engineering managers, product owners or anyone who want to inspire their team through storytelling.
When to read: When you want to become a more engaging communicator
Daring Greatly is a fantastic read for engineering managers who want to embrace vulnerability as a strength. It's about leading with courage, being more empathetic, and building a strong, resilient team.
When to read: When struggling to connect authentically with your team
Peopleware is an oldie, but essential read for engineering managers who want to get the human side of software development right. It's all about creating a productive environment and understanding that it's the people who make projects succeed. Also it will probably make you realize how your workspace is not optimized for productivity.
When to read: When optimizing team environment and productivity
Insight stories from Netflix, with practical tips on building a culture of freedom and responsibility. Driving a high performing culture through many different approaches.
When to read: When building a high-performance team culture
Scaling People is approachable, entertaining, and exceptionally useful, with lots of heart and humor. Claire leverages her years of unparalleled experience to provide a deeply helpful resource to read and revisit again and again.
When to read: When your organization is growing rapidly
Managing Humans is a no-BS guide to navigating the weird world of engineering management. It's like having a coffee chat with a mentor who's seen it all.
When to read: Light reading between challenging management situations
Thinking in Systems is great read for anyone looking to decompose problems and better thinking. Learning how to think in systems is now part of change-agent literacy. And this is the best book of its kind
When to read: When tackling complex organizational problems
If you're struggling with product development and team workflow, this is your go-to book. It's packed with insights to make your process smoother and less of a headache.
When to read: When optimizing your team's delivery pipeline
This book is all about sharing what you do and how you do it. It's perfect for engineering managers who want to build a transparent and collaborative culture in their team.
When to read: On a weekend or holiday for creative inspiration
This book is a must-read for any engineer. It's about how to be a better engineer and how to make your work more efficient, putting pragmatic principles first.
When to read: When leveling up your technical craft
A cool read for managers who want to blend work and play the right way. It's about creating a workplace where people are free to be themselves and do great work.
When to read: On vacation or when rethinking work-life balance
If you're leading a diverse team, this is your handbook. It's packed with insights on navigating the complexities of different cultures in a professional setting.
When to read: When leading distributed or multicultural teams
This book isn't just about archery; it's about mastering any skill. A great metaphorical read for engineering managers focusing on skill development and mindfulness.
When to read: When seeking focus and mindfulness in your practice
Radical Candor is all about being a kickass boss without losing your humanity. It's great for engineering managers who want to get the best out of their team without turning into a robot.
When to read: When improving your feedback culture
No sugar-coating here, just real talk about the tough parts of being a manager. It's full of stories and advice that are gold for any engineering leader.
When to read: During layoffs, company crises, or hard times
If you lead platform teams or you want to speed things up without burning out their team. It's full of research-backed insights on building high-performing tech organizations.
When to read: When improving engineering metrics and delivery speed
Drive dives into what really motivates us at work. It's a great read if you're looking to inspire and motivate your engineering team in more meaningful ways.
When to read: When your team seems unmotivated or disengaged
Perfect for managers and teams looking to cut through the noise and focus on what matters. This book is all about getting into the zone and doing great work.
When to read: When improving personal focus and productivity
This one's about leadership lessons from Navy SEALs. It's a tough-love kind of book that's perfect for engineering managers who want to take their leadership skills to the next level.
When to read: When you need to take accountability and lead through chaos
Just like debugging code, this book is about fixing team problems. Great for engineering managers who want practical tips on making their teams work better together.
When to read: When diagnosing collaboration issues in your team
Inspired by Amazon's approach, this book is about working from the customer back to the product. It's great for managers who want to build customer-centric products and teams.
When to read: When defining product strategy or improving customer focus
