I often recommend leadership books: either driven by the desire to help someone or asked directly. So this is a curated list of some of the most influential engineering leadership books I have read over the years. As time goes on, I’m not just extending this list indefinitely but trying to keep it limited to a few dozen books only. Consider this to be my “Top N” list of all times!

Now, if I’d have only one book to recommend, regardless of your occupation, experience, and career aspirations, that would be:

Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone & Sheila Heen (Goodreads)

When you have more time, I’m confident the following reads are going to expand your view field:

• The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels by Michael D. Watkins (Goodreads)
• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler (Goodreads)
• The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business by Erin Meyer (Goodreads)
• The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier (Goodreads)
• Management 3.0: Leading Agile Developers, Developing Agile Leaders by Jurgen Appelo (Goodreads)

Last update: 2022-01-07

Photo by Kaboompics.com / Pexels