TOP10 Books to become a great leader and engineering manager

In this article, I wanted to share some books I've read that could help you become a better leader, understand the product you're working on and understand people you're managing and dealing with daily. This post can be exciting to those thinking of shifting their career path from pure engineering to management.

The new path course is likely different from the one you were used to. This involves tons of communication with people, understanding emotions, intents, how colleagues work, what they want, what their boss wants, what they hope for, what they don't tell you or what your boss didn't tell you. This time you're dealing with people, not your beloved computer, and there'll be a lot of ambiguities, assumptions, and guestimations. The better you understand what situation you're in, the better you know tools you can rely on and how they work, there'll be way fewer guessings and assumptions and way more reasonable decisions made by you.

The best way to present my list is to make it TOP 10 format. And, to make it exciting and you watching till the end, let me start with number 10.

#️⃣10 The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier https://amzn.to/328GiMQ

#️⃣9 Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs by John Doerr https://amzn.to/3mJak0L

#️⃣8 How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie https://amzn.to/32qGnef

#️⃣7 Lend Me Your Ears: All You Need to Know about Making Speeches and Presentations by Max Atkinson https://amzn.to/3ph7DVE

#️⃣6 Inspired How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Second Edition By Marty Cagan https://amzn.to/33OxM60

#️⃣5 Culture Code by Daniel Coyle https://amzn.to/3qm4kfo

#️⃣4 Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron Mcmillan, Al Switzler https://amzn.to/3yKIXYE

#️⃣3 Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen https://amzn.to/3swswxY

#️⃣2 The Art of Leadership: Small Things, Done Well by Michael Lopp https://amzn.to/3soTdEQ

#️⃣1 An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management by Will Larson https://amzn.to/3EeUiRZ

All these books are essential for beginners, and I'd say even advanced managers. It's never too late to learn new things or just refresh your memory. It's also likely you have heard and know all these things mentioned in this list, but putting everything on the correct shelves is also super important. You'll definitely find some "AH HA" moments, and that's great, and it means you're not totally a newbie.

My advice for you - think about yourself, identify your strengths and weaknesses. Grab a book from the list and eliminate your knowledge gaps as a manager one by one and strengthen the powers you already had!

‍