Best Management Books: Top 10 Recommendations [2023 Update]

What are the best management books? In this article, you will find the top 10 management books of all time that you must read. Read on to discover the real top management books …

The top 10 best books about management

Criteria for compiling these recommended books Our editors have carefully read as many as possible books about this subject. Then, they used the following criteria for choosing the best picks:

⠀ The literary quality of the books.

The amount of books sold worldwide.

The professional reviews in newspapers.

The expertise and experience from the author.

The quality of the examples, knowledge and practicality

The actuality and whether the information is useful or too old.

Our editor’s opinions: they have read and judged the books extensively. Full disclosure: as Amazon Associates we earn from qualifying purchases.

1.Drive To Thrive: What It Takes To Become An Inspirational Manager By Bringing The Best Out Of Others

Being a manager is not only about your own work, it is about getting the best work out of your team. This book explains exactly how to inspire others, both individually and in groups, to pull towards one shared goal. Motivating, informative and eye-opening.

2.The First-Time Manager

This book is suggested for any new manager or anybody considering a vocation in management. Becoming a leader for the first time is never easy. There are lessons to learn and mistakes to avoid. Fortunately, this book has them all!

3.15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs

This book is a game-changer. Not only does it focus around lessons in time management, which is pivotal to achieving success, but it also includes some of the most powerful case studies ever seen. 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs!

4.How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers

Walking into a leadership role for the first time is daunting, to say the least. But what better mentors than people who have already been there, done it and been successful. This book takes lessons from successful CEOs and founders on how to be a great leader.

5.Sales Management. Simplified: The Straight Truth About Getting Exceptional Results from Your Sales Team

Our pick for anyone going into a sales management role. This book picks a niche and gives you absolutely all the information you need to know on it. Sales is a unique type of job and takes a unique management style which you can definitely learn from this guide.

6.Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t

This book is the go-to guide for team management. Not only does it focus on the success stories and how to make a team work together, but it gives equal time to what NOT to do. Avoiding mistakes is just as important as finding successes. A well-balanced read.

7.Strategies & Tips for Time Management: Secrets to Organizing Yourself and Ending Procrastination

Time management is one of the most important parts of being a leader. Making sure that things get done on time and to a high standard is essentially 90% of the job. Fortunately, this book contains a number of proven tips and strategies to do just that.

8.Awesome Supervisory Skills: Seven Lessons for Young, First-Time Managers

In our opinion, this is the perfect read for first-time managers or people looking to go down that route. It outlines the key, fundamental lessons that all young leaders need to know, but without being patronizing or condescending. A thoroughly enjoyable and insightful read.

9.Millennials’ Guide to Management & Leadership: What No One Ever Told you About How to Excel as a Leader

The book to buy if you are a millennial either working as a manager or wanting to become one. It takes on the unique challenges of the millennial generation and mentality, teaching you how to succeed at every turn.

10.A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Management (Very Short, Fairly Interesting & Cheap Books)

Clear, brief, and direct. An ideal short presentation for beginner managers. In fact, the title says it better than we ever could: ‘A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Management.’ We highly recommend this for any new managers or leaders.

What kind of management books are on this list?

In this list you will find both classics and new books and you will find both academic and popular books. Some of the management books included in this list are among the best management books of all time. You can decide for yourself which is the best ever.

Extra recommendations besides t he top 10 list of best management books

There are various extra management books in this list that are recommended:

Elon Musk: How the Billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla is Shaping Our Future

The book on Elon Musk gives you a glimpse into the incredible life of this Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has incredible guts. You get a clear picture of how he made it to the top of the international business world.

Start With Why

Start With Why is so important because it allows you to make your staff and customers love you. That’s how strong the power of the why is. This way you make sure that they put love and quality into their work and that way you ensure that they are intrinsically motivated!

Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

The Power Of Scrum is important for every manager and entrepreneur, and not just IT people. Scrum originated in IT, but it is excellent to apply to all kinds of other types of companies. Try the principle out!

The top 10 best books about management

Let’s finish with giving you our top picks on this subject. We will present you our top 10 best books about Managment of all time. We have updated this ultimate list of our recommendations this year, including all the recent titles.

BOOKS AUTHOR Drive To Thrive: What It Takes To Become An Inspirational Manager By Bringing The Best Out Of Others Sharad Bajaj The First-Time Manager Jim McCormick 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs Kevin Kruse How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers David M. Rubenstein Sales Management. Simplified: The Straight Truth About Getting Exceptional Results from Your Sales Team Mike Weinberg Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t Simon Sinek Strategies & Tips for Time Management: Secrets to Organizing Yourself and Ending Procrastination Awesome Supervisory Skills: Seven Lessons for Young, First-Time Managers

Tamara Murray Millennials’ Guide to Management & Leadership: What No One Ever Told you About How to Excel as a Leader Jennifer P Wisdom A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book about Management (Very Short, Fairly Interesting & Cheap Books) Ann L Cunliffe

Have fun with these management books

Reading management books is fun. It gives you new ideas and inspiration to test in your work. Good luck!

Be a great manager with these 12 leadership books.

I’m an avid reader and I’m always digging into the latest and greatest business books. Especially when it comes to people management, I tend to talk in frameworks or concepts I’ve come across over the years.

I realized how much of a geek I was when I co-hosted a PI webinar over the summer on five management myths and caught myself referencing book after book. Since then, I received many requests to publish a list of my favorites. So, without further ado, here’s a list of the 12 best team management books that have had the biggest impact on the way I manage and lead.

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Best team management books (in no particular order)

1. “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni

Lencioni’s seminal book, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team,” is a must-read for anyone on, or managing, a business team. Shortly after reading, I realized all the hot air behind the pervasive use of “results-driven” in business plans and LinkedIn profiles. (You might as well hang a “world’s-best” sign in a coffee shop window.) It’s a quick read, in fable format, that allows you to understand how establishing trust is necessary in order to have tough conversations and commit to goals so managers and team members can hold each other accountable. The outcome, not the impetus, is results.

2. “Organizational Culture and Leadership” by Ed Schein

I think this is actually a collegiate textbook, but I read “Organizational Culture and Leadership” cover-to-cover and recommend reading it in its entirety to anyone interested in change management or cultural transformation. Shein is a world-renowned consultant and former MIT professor. If you’re looking for the best chapter, I recommend Chapter 16 entitled “A Model of Change Management and the Change Leader.” This was the first time I came across the concept of “learning anxiety.” Shein outlines eight tactics leaders must implement to establish “psychological safety”—something that is absolutely critical if you want a “fail fast” and continuous learning culture.

3. “Fierce Conversations” by Susan Scott

Scott nailed it with “Fierce Conversations.” In addition to having an incredibly pragmatic and useful framework for teeing difficult conversations, Scott uses examples from her own work and life to show leaders what it means to truly care about your team members, to listen, to hold them accountable, and inspire them to greatness. Just as it’s often a team leader’s job to coach and motivate others, Scott also speaks of the damage and emotional wake leaders cause when they lack self-awareness and empathy.

4. “Conflict Without Casualties” by Nate Regier, Ph.D.

Regier shares useful strategies for addressing tough situations and responding to those playing the blame-game. Regier sheds light on the fact that in different situations each of us chooses the role we play—the victim, the rescuer, or the persecutor. Regier gives some clear advice on how to identify which role you’re being asked to play in the trifecta and viewing them differently as leadership tenets—vulnerability, resourcefulness, and persistence.

5. “HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself”

If you’re looking for a definitive guide to getting your work-life organized and focusing on self-awareness, look no further. This book by Harvard Business Review is a collection of 10 famous articles written by management greats. They cover topics such as leadership, time management, self-awareness, and how being a truly great leader means blurring the lines between work and home life. It kicks off with a bonus article by Clayton Christensen titled “How Will You Measure Your Life?”

6. “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey

Although Lencioni introduced me to the critical importance of trust, Covey really drove the concept home for me. Trust is the backbone of any relationship in work and life. And, it all starts by trusting yourself. Otherwise, it will be nearly impossible to trust others. Covey unpacks how lack of self-trust usually results in being overly judgmental and holding yourself and others to impossible standards. On the flip side, Covey talks about how trusting too much could mean that you never hold people accountable. Whether it’s setting expectations, meeting them, and holding yourself and others accountable—it takes practice to find the middle ground.

7. “Scaling Up” by Verne Harnish

In “Scaling Up,” Harnish unveils a very simple goal-crushing formula combining strategy, people, execution, and cash—with worksheets and rubrics throughout to boot. Intended to be more of a reference piece, each page is packed with insights and ideas for running your team and company like a finely-tuned machine. I found the section on accountability and team meeting cadence particularly helpful. If you struggle to communicate a strategic vision and plan, the book is chock full of easy frameworks and processes to clearly articulate your goals, get your team(s) aligned, and have an amazing impact on growth and the bottom line.

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8. “The Alliance” by Reid Hoffman

As the working world continues to evolve, so does the social contract businesses have with their employees. Hoffman uses “The Alliance” to share his perspective, which formed while he led LinkedIn as CEO and co-founder. Noting an all-time low in trust between employer and employee, Hoffman advocates for a new, transparent, and mutually-beneficial contract—a “tour of duty” as he calls it—geared to giving employees a leg up in their career while allowing the company to remain flexible while it scales. As you hire employees, you have the opportunity to set clear expectations about what it means to perform in a role and how long you anticipate someone will stay in that role. This clarity allows for trust to be established and it empowers employees to follow their passion.

9. “Good to Great” by Jim Collins

Obviously a classic. Collins’s “Good to Great” uses real-life examples to show how great leaders use strategy, execution, and leadership skills to take their company’s performance to the max. It’s no surprise that the people leaders surround themselves with can make or break a company. Collins touches on his famous analogy of getting the right people “on the bus” first and then working with them to design their ideal role. He also puts emphasis on leadership remaining humble and always putting what’s best for the company ahead of their own needs. Although basic, it’s awfully impactful when you read example after example of great strategies and the leaders who led them.

10. “Whale Done!” by Ken Blanchard

“Whale Done!” by Blanchard, a renowned management expert, focuses on the power of positive relationships. Highlighting strategies used by whale trainers at SeaWorld, Blanchard advocates that leaders place emphasis and praise on desired behaviors and essentially ignore all that are undesirable. The thinking is that psychologically we all crave rewards and positive accolades. So much so that we’ll subconsciously stop behaviors that illicit no response. No one can deny the power of positive. Although short and to the point, I challenge you to be truthful, specific, and positive with feedback on a regular basis. It’s much easier said than done. (Note: The book was published in 2002, prior to the release of “Blackfish” in 2013. While nobody endorses the captivity and isolation of orca whales, the concepts still apply.)

11. “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott

Scott’s “Radical Candor” opened the floodgates to managers everywhere finally being able to breathe and give their team members in-the-moment feedback. In addition to its namesake, Scott uses the book to talk about how leaders can trap potential in their team members with “ruinous empathy.” On a broad scale, Scott advocates for providing an all-inclusive culture that’s open to feedback and continuous learning. If you think you want to try radical candor, read the book. Don’t pay it lip service. I’ve personally witnessed a few occasions where managers have used the book as a license to eviscerate employees versus taking the time and care to tailor candor to the needs of each team member.

12. “Outbound Air” by Tom Foster

“Outbound Air” outlines the growing pains all businesses go through as their organizational structure starts to materialize. Foster uses a fictitious scenario of an expanding regional airport to explain the time strata theory of late management expert Elliott Jaques. This book was my first exposure to the common dissonance created when people that have a specific cap on how far they can plan into the future (time horizon) are placed in roles that require more future planning (time span). According to Dr. Jaques, people’s abilities break naturally into eight levels, which he calls “strata.” It sheds light on why some people may be great as tactical process followers, but not as systems creators or strategists. By no means a show-stopper of a book, I thought it was worth wrestling through to get the essence of the time strata theory.

I hope you enjoy reading these books. Maybe they’ll inspire you to start your own company book club!

20 Best Management Books Every Great Leader Should Read

20 Management Books Every Great Leader Should Read

Highly effective leaders read highly effective books, right? Even natural-born leaders need help and guidance to get maximum results from themselves and their team.

Have you ever had a bad boss? Someone whose so out of synchronicity with the members of the team. Or a boss who can’t separate themselves from the situation in order to lead effectively? Well, books can help by teaching management techniques and help you avoid the errors of bad bosses.

If you plan to step into leadership these books can help prepare you for the role. Don’t be like your bad boss, be smarter, stronger, and braver. There are thousands of management books available but finding the right one can be hard. In fact, many hold little value and aren’t worth the investment.

Take the guesswork out of which book you should buy and check out these recommendations:

The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You. By Julie Zhuo

Julie Zhuo thinks leaders are not born but forged through their experiences. She was Facebook’s first intern and by the age of 25, she was selected to lead a team at one of the fastest-growing tech companies ever. In the blink of an eye, her colleagues were now her employees and they looked to her to lead. Zhuo had to deal with a lot of first such as who to hire and what to do when you have to fire a friend. Facebook was growing fast which meant its managers needed to grow fast too. Julie Zhuo is now the Vice-President of Product Design and has shared everything she’s learned about leadership in her book.

Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World With OKRs. By John Doerr

John Doerr is a venture capitalist and he’s a billionaire. In 1999 he met with a small but ambitious tech company called Google. He staked his biggest investment to date with them and today Google has a market cap of over $1 trillion. Doerr helped steer the ship by teaching Larry Page and Sergey Brin the management technique known as Objectives and Key Results. It’s a goal-setting system that helps businesses reach the results they seek. In his book, John Doerr shares how to implement this system in your company. The book contains first-person narratives from people like Bill Gates and U2’s Bono. Through case studies and first-hand knowledge, you’ll learn how to define objectives and key results (which are the milestones you’ll need to reach).

Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. By Brene Brown

Brene Brown wants to inspire the next generation of leaders to take charge and her book is going to teach you how to do that. She believes that good leadership is broken down into 4 skill sets and they can be observed, measured, and then taught. She describes those 4 skill sets as the ability to rumble with vulnerability, live into your values, building trust, and resetting after failure. The good news is Brene Brown believes that we’re all leaders but that we need to be braver to lead well. Her book is the result of years of research including interviews with leaders at non-profits, startups, family-owned, and other businesses of all sizes.

The One Minute Manager.By Kenneth Blanchard Ph.D. and Spencer Johnson M.D.

The One Minute Manager is a very popular book with managers and leaders because it is short and to the point. The book is broken down into three different pieces of advice to become an effective manager. These are the One Minute Goals, One Minute Praise, and One Minute Reprimand. Managers who read this book are taught how to be precise with their intentions. Set clear objectives with a clear timeframe, but allow your employees the autonomy in deciding how their job is done. Issues should be dealt with when they arise and never allowed to accumulate and fester. The One Minute Manager is a great tool for leaders to use in their office.

Turn the Ship Around!: A True Story of Turning Followers Into Leaders. By L. David Marquet

Marquet took on the Navy and changed the rulebook it had been following for centuries. When Marquet was assigned leadership of the Santa Fe he found the crew to be miserable. The Santa Fe is a nuclear submarine and the margin for error is virtually nonexistent. When he unknowingly gave an impossible order Marquet was shocked that his crew followed it. It was time for a change and Marquet developed a new system that encouraged every crew member to take responsibility and lead. This turned the fortunes of the Santa Fe around as it went from the least to the most desirable submarine in the Naval fleet. The crew was engaged at every level and Marquet changed tradition forever.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t. By Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek wants to challenge the ideas behind what leadership is. Instead of thinking about being in charge, he wants leaders to think of those in his charge. Essentially this book is not about what your team can do for you, but what you can do for your team. Sinek draws on the experiences of leaders within the Marine Corps as well as those at the head of big businesses and world governments. It’s a deep look into why members of the Marine Corps willingly sacrifice their lives and how businesses can adopt this model to bring out the best in their team.

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. By Nir Eyal

This is a world built on distractions. Distractions are a billion-dollar industry and companies like YouTube and Netflix thrive when we’re distracted. Indistractable is the toolkit you need to battle the pull of distractions and focus more on the things that matter in your life. Nir Eyal’s book focuses on the psychology behind getting distracted. It’s not a simple do this, get that template but rather an empowering guide to help you make plans and see them through. You can achieve this by learning how to best use the technology available instead of letting technology get the better of you.

How to Win Friends and Influence People. By Dale Carnegie

The most discussed book on leadership is How to Win Friends and Influence People. And despite being written in 1936 it’s still an excellent template to model yourself after. The book has sold over 30 million copies making it one of the all-time best-selling books. The advice shared is flawless as well as timeless. One of Carnegie’s core beliefs is that changing another’s behavior can be achieved by changing your behavior towards them. The book is broken down into six ways of making people like you, twelve different ways to influence someone to your way of thinking, and nine methods of changing people without causing any resentment. Any person, whether in a leadership role or not, can learn from Dale Carnegie’s book.

First, Break All the Rules. By Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman

This book is the sum of 80,000 interviews with management at leaders from all sizes of business and in different kinds of positions. From C-Suite leaders to supervisors, First, Break All the Rules looks at how companies create employee satisfaction to take them to the next level. Some of the advice found in this book include treating employees as individuals and not fixing weaknesses but focusing on strengths instead. The book covers what these managers do differently and gives practical advice for implementing these strategies in your organization.

The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier

Michael Bungay has compiled a series of questions that you can share with your team so you’re saying less and asking more. Learn how to get to the point during a conversation with the kickstart question. Or save yourself time with the lazy question. The Coaching Habit is backed up by neuroscience research and behavioral economics. Stainer has included interactive elements to turn his advice into habits. There are seven questions in the Coaching Habit that will help you make positive changes in the way you lead.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. By Stephen R. Covey

In Stephen Covey’s book, you’ll learn how to be more effective with goals by focusing on what he describes as the “true north” principles based on a moral character he believes is timeless. The book has sold over 25 million copies and is hailed for being a simple model to follow. In this book, Covey introduces the maturity continuum which details the stages of maturity as dependence, independence, and interdependence. He focuses on the latter two to help turn leaders into highly effective people. You’ll learn how to be principled and develop strong, healthy relationships with this book.

Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. By Harvey B. Mackay

Self-made millionaire, Harvey Mackay, shares everything he’s learned about the road to success. This book is a must-have for leaders in sales teams and particularly for people stepping up into management. Despite being released in the 1980s, the advice Mackay has to share is enduring and still relevant today. Mackay shares his story and imparts his wisdom through chapters known as “lessons” and “quickies.” His lessons aren’t just good for a sales team but can be put into practice in your everyday life. For example, he talks about how you need to be willing to say “no” and walk away; practical advice that’s always worth remembering.

Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. By Robert B. Cialdini Ph.D.

Dr. Robert Cialdini is one of the foremost experts on the topics of influence and persuasion. His book is a detailed look into why people say yes to things and is based on over 35 years of research. There are 6 principles examined in this book: reciprocation, commitment & consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity. The book aims to turn you into a skilled persuader but will also teach you how to protect yourself from influence. It’s a great read for marketing professionals as well as team leaders to help influence good work from their team.

Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action. By Simon Sinek

The second book on this list by Simon Sinek looks at the two main ways of influencing human behavior; manipulation and inspiration. Sinek’s book suggests that the more powerful and sustainable choice is inspiration. He looks at how leadership and purpose can drive success. He says to get the best results you need to start with “why?” Sinek believes that the “why” helps teams to understand the purpose and that “why” should be communicated before other questions like how or what. This framework is named the Golden Circle. It can help business leaders to build their organization from the ground up.

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons in Creative Leadership from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger

What does it take to lead one of the largest media companies in the world? A job that overseas film and television production, radio, theme parks, cruises, and other industries. Well, Robert Iger who was in charge of the Disney beast for 15 years has detailed his time at the top. The Ride of a Lifetime is a must-read for anyone in the creative industry. It can also anyone to learn new leadership skills born from creative minds. Iger breaks down his belief that the core principles leaders need are optimism, courage, decisiveness, and fairness.

Nudge: The Final Edition. By Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein

Nudge has changed the way businesses and governments operate. This is a new edition that has been completely rewritten and updated with the latest information. The book focuses on choice architecture to help you to make better decisions that benefit business, family, and society. Nudging is a behavioral science method of influencing decisions through positive reinforcement and indirect suggestions. The core principle of nudging is that you should make it fun. Everything you need to learn about this concept is contained within this book.

Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter By Liz Wiseman & Greg McKeown

This book is about two different types of leaders and how you can become the right kind. The first type of leader is called the Idea Killer, the one you don’t want to be. These leaders drain motivation, intelligence, and capability from their team and always try to position themselves as the most important person in the room. Be a Multiplier instead suggests Liz Wideman and Greg McKeown. A Multiplier is the type of leader who brings out the intelligence and capability from their team. If you want to be the type of leader that can inspire ideas, collaboration, and get problems solved then Multipliers can help teach you that.

Your Brain At Work. By David Rock

Your Brain At Work details the life of a couple and their demanding careers. It gives first-hand information on how to better handle day-to-day stimulation. Rock shows the couple, as well as the reader, how they can better prioritize and organize their life. This is a guide on how to excel in today’s modern work landscape. Rock teaches the brain’s limitations, how to be mindful of them and how to act on them in the moment. By reading this book you’ll be able to understand yourself better and learn valuable skills along the way. Arm yourself with the knowledge to overcome distractions and thrive at work.

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. By Kim Scott

Radical Candor is a book for managers to learn how to effectively speak to and manage their team. It doesn’t shy away from the fact that sometimes you need to criticize work and it shares ideas on how to do that constructively. Alongside criticism, the book discusses how praise should be factored into work relationships. Relationships are key to creating a thriving work environment and that’s what Kim Scott’s book is all about. Scott shares her three guiding principles; make it personal, get it done, and understand why it matters.

The Ordinary Leader: 10 Key Insights for Building and Leading a Thriving Organization. By Randy Grieser

The Ordinary Leader takes the focus away from the Fortune 100 CEOs and looks at the leaders at small organizations. Rarely are these leaders discussed in the national press but they represent far more of the workforce. How they work is vital to business success and Randy Grieser has taken the conversation to them. Grieser’s work was surveyed by over 1,700 leaders and the book contains the perspective of 10 people from a range of professions. His findings are distilled through 10 principles that he believes will make you a more passionate, productive, and visionary leader.