Books are the most powerful thing in the world. they can open your mind to a whole new world, a world full of knowledge, wisdom and possibilities. the right book can empower you with years of experience from others along with the ability to generate your own mind-blowing ideas.
harry s. truman – the 33rd president of the united states of america rightly pointed out, “not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”. Steve Jobs had an inexhaustible interest in William Blake; Nike founder Phil Knight reveres his library so much that you have to take off your shoes first, then enter. Elon Musk, the brains behind giant companies like Tesla Motors and SpaceX, is an avid reader. bill gates reads about 50 books a year. dial cuban readings for more than 3 hours a day.
You are reading: Management books to read
From this, we can easily deduce that reading is one of the daily habits that the most successful people have. but successful people don’t read anything that comes into their hands. They are very selective about what they read. they prefer to be educated than to be entertained. in fact, there is a remarkable difference between the reading habits of the rich and the not-so-rich. they prefer educational biographies and autobiographies of other successful people to novels, tabloids, and magazines.
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There are so many books that talk about management and leadership, but only a few qualify as required reading for managers.
below are the top 9 books proofhub recommends every manager should read:
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 brilliantly and is still quite relevant after 70 years. talks about the importance of interpersonal skills in both professional and personal life. this classic shares some timeless advice like the importance of a smile, the need to avoid complaining, and making people feel important. It had a profound impact on Warren Buffett, who read the book when he was 15.
Best Quote: “Criticism is useless because it puts a person on the defensive and usually makes them struggle to justify themselves. criticism is dangerous, because it hurts a person’s precious pride, hurts their sense of importance, and arouses resentment.”
2. the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership
subtitle: follow them and people will follow you
author: john c. maxwell
Why it’s a must read: Leadership is a simple but complicated phenomenon that has been explained in thousands of ways by thousands of people. however, this book includes the different leadership traits and techniques in a way that is easier to read, understand, and apply. maxwell offers hidden real-life stories with leadership tips and exercises to improve your leadership style.
best quote: “many people see leadership the same way they see success, hoping to go as far as possible, climb the ladder, reach the highest position possible for their talent. but contrary to conventional thinking, I believe the bottom line of leadership is not how far we advance ourselves, but how far we advance others. that is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives.”
3. the art of war
author: sun tzu
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Why this is a must read: Sun Tzu was a military general who lived in an era of Chinese history marked by competing vassal states. this book is a detailed guide to winning. the books are made up of 13 chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of the war. the writing is aggressive in nature that borrows military references to explain leadership concepts. is not just a book but a philosophy of life that extends to all types of leadership.
best quote: “if your enemy is safe on all points, prepare for him. if he has superior strength, avoid him. if your opponent is temperamental, seek to irritate him. he pretends to be weak, so that he can become arrogant. if he’s taking it easy, don’t give him a break. if his forces are united, separate them. if sovereign and subject agree, put division between them. attack him where he is not ready, appear where you are not expected.”
4. 7 habits of highly effective people
subtitle: powerful lessons of personal change
author: stephen r. flock
Why it’s a must read: late covey is known as one of the best leadership experts even today. this book focuses on the self rather than the organization. has seven chapters of wisdom: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand and then be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw. In this handbook, Covey cautions that true leadership begins 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 what he can and should be.”
5. good to excellent
subtitle: why some companies take the leap… and others don’t
author: jim collins
why it’s a must read: is a management book that describes the transition from good to great and how most companies fail to make the transition through a series of studies of cases. has all the keys to success through which mediocre companies can achieve greatness: discipline, simplicity and great people are some of them.
best quote: “good is the enemy of great. We don’t have big schools, big government or big companies because they are generally good, and that is their main problem.”
6. leadership
subtitle: the power of emotional intelligence
author: daniel goleman
Why this is a must read:Daniel Goleman is a renowned psychologist and science writer. This volume is the author’s first comprehensive collection of his key findings on leadership and organizational excellence, including the most effective ideas and ways to inspire others. In the context of the book, Goleman says, “Think of the book as your toolbox. each chapter is a unique and useful device that helps leaders, managers, human resources officers, and educators effectively guide and motivate others.”
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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 own productivity; People who cannot exercise some control over their emotional lives fight internal battles that sabotage their inability to focus on work and think clearly.”
7. the one minute manager
authors: kenneth blanchard and spencer johnson
Why It’s A Must Read:The One Minute Manager is a concise, easy-to-read story that reveals three very handy secrets: One-Minute Goals, One-Minute Praise, and One-Minute Reprimands. minute. That’s why the book has continued to appear on business bestseller lists for more than two decades and has managed to become an international sensation.
best quote: “managers who were interested in results often seemed to be labeled ‘autocratic,’ while managers interested in people were often labeled as ‘democratic’. the young man thought that each of these managers, the ‘tough’ autocrat and the ‘gentle’ democrat, were only partially effective. “It’s like being half a manager,” he thought. he came home tired and discouraged. he might have given up searching for him a long time ago, but he had one big 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 benefit from their presence.”
8. the effective executive
subtitle: the definitive guide to doing things right
author: pedro f. drucker
Why it’s a must read: With a wide variety of business and government annals, peter f. Drucker demonstrated the executive’s distinctive skill and offers new insights into old and seemingly obvious business situations. he identifies five essential practices for business effectiveness that can and should be learned: managing time, choosing what to contribute to the organization, knowing where and how to mobilize force to best effect, setting the right priorities, linking them all with decision making effective.
best quote: “intelligence, imagination and knowledge are essential resources, but only efficiency turns them into results.”
9. the obstacle is the way
subtitle: the timeless art of turning trials into triumphs
author: ryan vacation
why it is a must read: the author has written this book to use philosophy as a system to be productive. On vacation, he writes about using the philosophy of Stoicism as a mental blueprint for being productive, not just at work, but in life itself. He has divided the book into three key sections: Perception, Action, and Will, where he has applied the insight of Stoicism to hypothetical examples to relate the theory to the outside world.
best quote: “you will meet 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.”
Why only nine?
I was going to make this a top 10 list, but we all have our favorites that leave a mark on our minds and we can’t stop talking about them. If you also have a favorite book, please leave a comment below with the name of the book, the author and your favorite quote from it.
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