Best 12 Books That Every Manager Should Read to Grow

Introduction

Being a manager comes with massive responsibility, whether managing people, resources, or projects. You must continuously enhance your leadership skills to adapt to changes, improve decision-making, and stay competitive.

And books are one of the most effective ways for managers to keep their skills sharp. Reading allows you to tap into the experiences and wisdom of others. It provides tools, techniques, and mental frameworks to handle challenges, enabling you to grow into an effective leader.

In this article, we’ll explore the 12 best books every manager should read to become more effective leaders, communicators, and decision-makers.

12 best must-read books for managers in 2024

1. How to win friends and influence people

Author: Dale Carnegie

Why it’s a must-read: Published in 1936, the book has survived the test of time and is still relevant after 70 years. It talks about the importance of soft skills in professional and personal lives. This classic shares timeless advice, such as the importance of a smile, the need to avoid complaining, and making people feel important. It profoundly impacted Warren Buffett, who read the book when he was 15.

Best quote: “Criticism is futile because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes him strive to justify himself. Criticism is dangerous because it wounds a person’s precious pride, hurts his sense of importance, and arouses resentment.”

2. The five dysfunctions of a team

Author: Patrick Lencioni

Why it’s a must-read: Patrick Lencioni’s book is a masterclass in understanding the dynamics of team behavior. It dives deep into the common obstacles that prevent teams from collaborating effectively. The book addresses five common dysfunctions that can derail even the most talented teams: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. Lencioni identifies these dysfunctions and outlines a simple model to help managers identify and overcome dysfunctions within their teams. For managers, this book is crucial in learning how to build trust, encourage healthy conflict, and foster a results-driven team culture.

Best quote: “If you could get everyone in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

3. The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership

Subtitle: Follow them, and people will follow you

Author: John C. Maxwell

Why it’s a must-read: Thousands of people have explained leadership in thousands of ways, making it a simple yet complicated phenomenon. However, this book entails different traits and leadership techniques in a way that is easy to read, comprehend, and apply. Maxwell offers real-life stories hidden with leadership advice and exercises to improve your leadership style.

Best quote: “Many people view leadership the same way they view success, hoping to go as far as they can, to climb the ladder, to achieve the highest position possible for their talent. However, contrary to conventional thinking, I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”

4. The art of war

Author: Sun Tzu

Why it’s a must-read: Sun Tzu was a military general living in an era of Chinese history marked by vassal states competing. This book is a thorough guide to winning. The book contains 13 chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of war. The writing is aggressive and borrows references from the military to explain leadership concepts. It is not just a book for managers but a philosophy of life that extends to every type of leadership.

Best quote: “If your enemy is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking it easy, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared; appear where you are not expected.”

5. Becoming a Manager

Author: Linda A. Hill

Why it’s a must-read: Becoming a Manager is an essential read for anyone stepping into a leadership role for the first time. It offers practical insights on how to shift from an individual contributor to a manager, covering essential topics like gaining credibility, motivating team members, and navigating the complexities of managing people, processes, and expectations. Its real-world examples and deep insights into the psychological aspects of leadership make the book stand out for managers.

Best quote: “Your role as a manager is not to do the work yourself, even if you are the best at it, because that will only take you so far. Your role is to improve your team’s purpose, people, and process to get as high a multiplier effect on your collective outcome as possible.”

6. 7 Habits of highly effective people

Subtitle: Powerful lessons in personal change

Author: Stephen R. Covey

Why it’s a must-read: Late Covey is among today’s best leadership experts. This managerial book focuses on the self rather than the organization. It has seven chapters of wisdom: Be proactive, Begin with the end in mind, Put first things first, Think win-win, Seek first to understand then to be understood, Synergize, and Sharpen the saw. In this manual, Covey advises that authentic leadership starts from within and encourages readers to create a personal vision.

Best quote: “Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he can and should be, and he will become as he can and should be.”

7. Good to Great

Subtitle: Why some companies make the leap… and others don’t

Author: Jim Collins

Why it’s a must-read: It is a management book that describes the transition from being good to great and how most companies fail to make the transition through a series of case studies. It has all the keys to success by which mediocre companies can achieve greatness – discipline, simplicity, and great people are a few.

Best quote: “Good is the enemy of great. We don’t have great schools, government, or companies because they are generally good – and that is their main problem.”

8. Leadership

Subtitle: The power of emotional intelligence

Author: Daniel Goleman

Why it’s a must-read: Daniel Goleman is a renowned psychologist and science writer. This volume is the author’s first comprehensive collection of key leadership and organizational excellence findings, including insights and the most effective ways to inspire others. In the context of the book, Goleman says,” Consider the book as your toolbox. Each chapter is a unique and helpful device that helps leaders, managers, human resource officers, and educators to guide and motivate others effectively.”

Best quote: “People with well-developed emotional skills are also more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of mind that foster their productivity; people who cannot marshal some control over their emotional life fight inner battles that sabotage their inability for focused work and clear thought.”

9. Dare to Lead

Author: Brené Brown

Why it’s a must-read: Dare to Lead challenges traditional notions of leadership by promoting the idea that vulnerability is not a weakness but a strength. Brown explains that the most influential leaders embrace vulnerability, foster trust, and lead with courage. She emphasizes the importance of clear communication, empathy, and emotional intelligence in building solid, resilient teams. It is a precious book for managers who want to create an open, supportive team culture where innovation and trust can thrive.

Best quote from the book: “At the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of my life, I want to say I contributed more than I criticized.”

10. The one-minute manager

Authors: Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson

Why it’s a must-read: The One Minute Manager is a concise, easily-read story revealing three practical secrets: One Minutes Goals, One Minute Praisings, and One Minute Reprimands. That is why the book has continued appearing on business bestseller lists for over two decades and has become an international sensation.

Best quote: “The managers interested in results often seemed to be labeled ‘autocratic,’ while the managers interested in people were often labeled ‘democratic.’ The young man thought these managers – the ‘tough’ autocrat and the ‘nice’ democrat- were only partially effective. ‘It’s like being half a manager,’ he thought. He returned home tired and discouraged, and he might have given up his search long ago, but he had one great advantage. He knew exactly what he was looking for. ‘Effective managers,’ he thought, ‘manage themselves and the people they work with so that both the organization and the people profit from their presence.”

11. The effective executive

Subtitle: The definitive guide to getting the right things done

Author: Peter F. Drucker

Why it’s a must-read: Ranging widely through annals of business and government, Peter F. Drucker demonstrated the distinctive skill of the executive and offers fresh insights into old and seemingly obvious business situations. He identifies five practices essential to business effectiveness that can and must be learned: managing time, choosing what to contribute to the organization, knowing where and how to mobilize strength for the best effect, setting the right priorities, and knitting all of them together with effective decision-making.

Best quote: “Intelligence, imagination, and knowledge are essential resources, but only effectiveness converts them into results.”

12. The Obstacle is the way

Subtitle: The timeless art of turning trials into triumphs

Author: Ryan Holiday

Why it’s a must-read: The author has written this management book to use philosophy as a system for being productive. Holiday writes about using the philosophy of Stoicism as a mental model for productivity in work and life. He divided the book into three key sections – Perception, Action, and Will- where he applied the view of Stoicism to hypothetical examples to relate the theory to the outside world.

Best quote: “You will come across obstacles in life- fair and unfair. And you will discover, time and time again, that what matters most is not what these obstacles are but how we see them, how we react to them, and whether we keep our composure.”

Conclusion

A successful manager is one who never stops learning and developing their skills. Managers can continue to improve their job performance by reading the right books. These books enhance managers’ ability to lead their teams and help them understand things from other perspectives. So, by staying curious and open to new ideas mentioned above in the best books for managers, anyone can become a great leader who keeps their team thriving.

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Best 12 books that every manager should read to grow