Successful project management is made up of a number of factors: detailed planning and task tracking, smart delegation, exceptional communication, and strong leadership overall.
These 10 books explore all angles of leadership and productivity. From discovering your team's dynamics to advice from today’s most successful CEOs, to tactics to manage stress and make better decisions, these books all make the “must read” list for project managers and leaders of any kind.
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
The ability to make decisions is key to successfully leading any project, and can be tricky thanks to the natural human emotions that pop up during stressful decision making. The Heath brothers offer simple, decision making processes for their readers to help in all decision making situations.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen
Being productive when you’re stressed out is next to impossible – a fact that David Allen addresses in this quick read. From organizing (and staying on top of!) your inbox to tackling massive projects, try Allen’s framework of “do it, delegate it, or defer it,” to maximize efficiency and find peace of mind.
In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies
by Thomas J. Peters
In Search of Excellence seeks to define the eight characteristics of excellent organizations based on a McKinsey study of 43 of America’s best-run companies in 1982. One of the first business management best-selling blockbusters, this classic is a great read in understanding the evolution of management thinking and philosophy.
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
by Peter F. Drucker
Are you able to “get the right things done”? According to Drucker, in order to be an effective leader, you must. In this work, one of the most influential management thinkers of our time lays out the five essentials to business effectiveness in clear language that’s actionable for any leader.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change
by Stephen R. Covey
First published in 1989, Covey’s advice is timeless and profoundly relevant to this day, especially for aspirational, productive people. Covey challenges his readers to change the way we see the world – to change our habits and our lives. Whether you’re facing challenges professionally or personally, these simple steps will help you reshape the way you look at work and the world.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t
by Jim Collins
Collins identifies 11 Forbes 500 companies that have gone from mid-level performance to massive Wall Street success and then discusses the commonalities that helped these organizations down the path to greatness. In his examination of each company’s journey to success, Collins provides an easy frame of reference to compare your current company with the greats, and common-sense steps to take to achieve greatness yourself.
Jack Welch and the G.E. Way: Management Insights and Leadership Secrets of the Legendary CEO
by Robert Slater
Take some leadership cues from one of the greatest CEOs in recent history. Few companies have transformed the way that GE did during the 17 years that Welch led the company, going from a manufacturing to a service centered organization. Slater takes a keen eye to how and why Welch was so successful and shares actionable insight with his readers. There’s something for every type of leader and manager in this in-depth look at one of the most successful CEOs in the US.
The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable
by Patrick Lencioni
A crucial component of great leadership is understanding how your team works. Lencioni explores team dynamics in the fictional tale of Kathryn Petersen, a CEO placed in charge of a company on the brink of disaster. Through fable, details on Lencioni’s “five dysfunctions” of a team, and a questionnaire for examining the state of your own teams and steps to take to overcome shortfalls, Lencioni’s book is an essential for any manager.
Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management
by Scott Berkun
Composed of essays rather than a giant reference book, this Microsoft veteran takes his readers through nine years of experience leading projects. Berkun’s focus on philosophy and theory rather than project management specifics makes his advice relatable for technical and non-technical readers alike. Plus, his personal tone and real-life experience makes his advice relatable no matter your experience and background.
Agile Estimating and Planning
by Mike Cohn
Leading a complicated project with a high uncertainty factor? You’re not alone – and Cohn has plenty of steady advice to help you succeed in planning, estimating, and scheduling projects when the stakes are high. Cohn argues that without agile estimating and planning, agile projects would not be possible – and then shows you how to make it all happen, keeping agile software development and the supporting theories easy for anyone to understand.
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