20 Best Books For New Managers (2023 Update)

In your career, or anyone's, there is one transition that stands out as the most crucial–going from individual performer to competent manager. new managers have to learn how to lead others rather than do the work themselves, to win trust and respect, to motivate, and to strike the right balance between delegation and control. many fail to make the transition successfully. in this timeless, essential book, harvard business school professor and leadership guru linda hill traces the experiences of nineteen new managers over the course of their first year in the role. she reveals the complexity of the transition, highlighting the expectations of the managers, their subordinates, and their superiors. hill shows that becoming a manager is a profound psychological adjustment–a true transformation–as well as a process of learning from experience. and she also offers concrete advice on dealing effectively with organizational politics, developing and leading diverse teams, and how managers can prepare themselves to lead over the course of their careers. no book has captured what it takes to make the crucial transition to leadership at work better than becoming a manager.–

Instant wall street journal bestseller! congratulations, you're a manager! after you pop the champagne, accept the shiny new title, and step into this thrilling next chapter of your career, the truth descends like a fog: you don't really know what you're doing.that's exactly how julie zhuo felt when she became a rookie manager at the age of 25. she stared at a long list of logistics–from hiring to firing, from meeting to messaging, from planning to pitching–and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. how was she supposed to spin teamwork into value? how could she be a good steward of her reports' careers? what was the secret to leading with confidence in new and unexpected situations? now, having managed dozens of teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, julie knows the most important lesson of all: great managers are made, not born. if you care enough to be reading this, then you care enough to be a great manager.the making of a manager is a modern field guide packed everyday examples and transformative insights, including: * how to tell a great manager from an average manager (illustrations included) * when you should look past an awkward interview and hire someone anyway * how to build trust with your reports through not being a boss * where to look when you lose faith and lack the answerswhether you're new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the kind of manager you wish you had.

The trusted management classic and go-to guide for anyone facing new responsibilities as a first-time manager, revised and updated to address modern management challenges.

The one primer you need to develop your managerial and leadership skills. whether you're a new manager or looking to have more influence in your current management role, the challenges you face come in all shapes and sizes–a direct report's anxious questions, your boss's last-minute assignment of an important presentation, or a blank business case staring you in the face. to reach your full potential in these situations, you need to master a new set of business and personal skills. packed with step-by-step advice and wisdom from harvard business review's management archive, the hbr manager's handbook provides best practices on topics from understanding key financial statements and the fundamentals of strategy to emotional intelligence and building your employees' trust. the book's brief sections allow you to home in quickly on the solutions you need right away–or take a deeper dive if you need more context. keep this comprehensive guide with you throughout your career and be a more impactful leader in your organization. in the hbr manager's handbook you'll find: – step-by-step guidance through common managerial tasks- short sections and chapters that you can turn to quickly as a need arises- self-assessments throughout- exercises and templates to help you practice and apply the concepts in the book- concise explanations of the latest research and thinking on important management skills from harvard business review experts such as dan goleman, clayton christensen, john kotter, and michael porter- real-life stories from working managers- recaps and action items at the end of each chapter that allow you to reinforce or review the ideas quickly the skills covered in the book include: – transitioning into a leadership role- building trust and credibility- developing emotional intelligence- becoming a person of influence- developing yourself as a leader- giving effective feedback- leading teams- fostering creativity- mastering the basics of strategy- learning to use financial tools- developing a business casehbr handbooks provide ambitious professionals with the frameworks, advice, and tools they need to excel in their careers. with step-by-step guidance, time-honed best practices, real-life stories, and concise explanations of research published in harvard business review, each comprehensive volume helps you to stand out from the pack–whatever your role.

Named one of 100 leadership & success books to read in a lifetime by amazon editors the world's most trusted guide for leaders in transition transitions are a critical time for leaders. in fact, most agree that moving into a new role is the biggest challenge a manager will face. while transitions offer a chance to start fresh and make needed changes in an organization, they also place leaders in a position of acute vulnerability. missteps made during the crucial first three months in a new role can jeopardize or even derail your success. in this updated and expanded version of the international bestseller the first 90 days, michael d. watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions–no matter where you are in your career. watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions and adviser to senior leaders in all types of organizations, also addresses today's increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs. by walking you through every aspect of the transition scenario, watkins identifies the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter and provides the tools and strategies you need to avoid them. you'll learn how to secure critical early wins, an important first step in establishing yourself in your new role. each chapter also includes checklists, practical tools, and self-assessments to help you assimilate key lessons and apply them to your own situation. whether you're starting a new job, being promoted from within, embarking on an overseas assignment, or being tapped as ceo, how you manage your transition will determine whether you succeed or fail. use this book as your trusted guide.

All grown up, the highly educated generation y is moving into executive positions in corporations and government, as well as running their own businesses, where they are beginning to have a profound impact that will last for decades.written exclusively for gen y readers to address their unique needs, becoming the boss is a brisk, tech savvy success manual filled with real-world, actionable tips, from an expert they respect and relate to. lindsey pollak defines what leadership is and draws on original research, her own extensive experience, and interviews with newly minted gen y managers and entrepreneurs around the world to share the secrets of what makes them successful leaders—and shows young professionals how to use that knowledge to rise in their own careers.from learning to develop a style that appeals to your older colleagues, to discovering the key trends affecting your career, to mastering the classic rules of excellence that never go out of style, becoming the boss helps you identify your next professional move and shows you how to get there.

Newly updated and backed by decades of research, this classic guide will equip leaders and team members alike to unleash the power of teamwork. never before in the history of the workplace has the concept of teamwork been more important to the functioning of successful organizations. legendary management guru ken blanchard along with teammates donald carew and eunice parisi-carew have updated their classic work on fostering high performance teams for the 21st century. they explain how all groups move through four stages of development on their way to becoming high performing teams–orientation, dissatisfaction, integration, and production, and show how any manager or leader can help any group to become fully effective quickly and with minimal stress. this updated edition includes a new introduction, extensive text revisions, and newly designed diagrams and charts.

Managing people is difficult wherever you work. but in the tech industry, where management is also a technical discipline, the learning curve can be brutal–especially when there are few tools, texts, and frameworks to help you. in this practical guide, author camille fournier (tech lead turned cto) takes you through each stage in the journey from engineer to technical manager. – from mentoring interns to working with senior staff, you'll get actionable advice for approaching various obstacles in your path. this book is ideal whether you're a new manager, a mentor, or a more experienced leader looking for fresh advice. pick up this book and learn how to become a better manager and leader in your organization. – begin by exploring what you expect from a manager – understand what it takes to be a good mentor, and a good tech lead – learn how to manage individual members while remaining focused on the entire team – understand how to manage yourself and avoid common pitfalls that challenge many leaders – manage multiple teams and learn how to manage managers – learn how to build and bootstrap a unifying culture in teams

Master your role as an effective manager an accessible and practical quick-guide that will help you develop your skills as a manager from paul falcone, author of 101 difficult conversations to have with your employees and renowned hr and leadership expert. being a good manager is not a natural skill for anyone, but it's an easy-to-learn discipline that will allow you to develop a strong team and create an environment that amplifies the skills of everyone on your team. this book breaks down the basics of each aspect that new managers struggle with most. new managers covers key leadership topics facing any manager, including: coaching and mentoring employees inspiring employee engagement fostering teamwork to encourage innovation mastering the art of active listening becoming an effective communicator establishing key metrics to drive business forward how to create a positive relationship between yourself and hr and, much more this quick-guide is an indispensable resource that will guide managers of all levels in becoming their team's favorite boss.

Aspiring first time managers and individual contributors planning to be managers will benefit from this book as it provides them with critical pointers to succeed in their managerial role. the book helps them to assess their readiness to be a manager. it details out the four key cornerstones of the managerial role: the scope of being a manager, the function of leadership and management, behavioural skills and manage change. understanding of the four key cornerstones will equip aspiring first time managers with the awareness on what it takes to be successful and gauge their own readiness to take up the role. upon assessment of their readiness, aspiring first time managers will have the tools in the manager's toolkits to develop their own personal managerial plan. the manager's toolkits comprises of two components: immanager framework and immanager guide which work hand-in-glove together. the immanager framework is a diagnostic execution plan that helps first time managers to focus on the right things, serving as a roadmap to lead and manage team and encourage managers to ask the hard questions in their pursuit to develop high performing teams. the immanager guide consists of a checklist questions which serves as the guidelines during the self-diagnostic process.

Aspiring first time managers and individual contributors planning to be managers will benefit from this book as it provides them with critical pointers to succeed in their managerial role. the book helps them to assess their readiness to be a manager. it details out the four key cornerstones of the managerial role: the scope of being a manager, the function of leadership and management, behavioural skills and manage change. understanding of the four key cornerstones will equip aspiring first time managers with the awareness on what it takes to be successful and gauge their own readiness to take up the role. upon assessment of their readiness, aspiring first time managers will have the tools in the manager's toolkits to develop their own personal managerial plan. the manager's toolkits comprises of two components: immanager framework and immanager guide which work hand-in-glove together. the immanager framework is a diagnostic execution plan that helps first time managers to focus on the right things, serving as a roadmap to lead and manage team and encourage managers to ask the hard questions in their pursuit to develop high performing teams. the immanager guide consists of a checklist questions which serves as the guidelines during the self-diagnostic process.

42 rules for your new leadership role (2nd edition) describes practical and effective actions for you to make a strong start at your new vp, director, or manager job. drawing from extensive interviews with corporate leaders and the author's 20 years as a strategy consultant and executive coach, these rules form the manual they forgot to hand you when you got that promotion or offer letter. topics include how to gain cooperation from your team, read the business culture at your new level, tee up smart "quick wins", show others how to work with you, assess the business risks in your new role, make the most of your strengths without overdoing it, work around your weaknesses, use team screw-ups to your advantage, redesign your undoable job, and stay focused on your plan when everyone wants you to fight fires and solve the problems on their desks. pam gives you specific guidance for each step of those first few critical months. her recommendations are shaped by current and classic leadership research, as well as fresh insight from her interviews with executives and surveys of leaders at all levels. with her background as executive coach to top silicon valley companies, corporate strategist with bain and accenture, and guest fellow at stanford gsb's center for leadership development and research, pam translates the experiences of thousands of leaders into easy-to-read guidance. let this book remind you what you did right before, help you avoid common missteps that cause leaders to stumble, and give you new strategies for acing those critical first months. adjust what you find here to serve team needs, market condition, cultural context, your goals and your personal leadership style. buy this book when you're making a step up, moving to a new organization, or for your friends as they move up. this book is also an ideal reference for executive coaches, hr business partners, management trainers, executive assistants, and others who help new leaders be successful.

With a new foreword by ken blanchard adapting one minute manager techniques to enable successful leadership to happen. using different ways to motivate different kinds of people. leadership and the one minute manager goes straight to the heart of management as it describes the effective, adaptive styles of situational leadership. in clear and simple terms it teaches how to become a flexible and successful leader, fitting your style to the needs of the individual and to the situation at hand, and using the one minute manager techniques to enhance the motivation of others.

Whether challenged with taking on a startup, turning a business around, or inheriting a high-performing unit, a new leader's success or failure is determined within the first 90 days on the job. in this hands-on guide, michael watkins, a noted expert on leadership transitions, offers proven strategies for moving successfully into a new role at any point in one's career. the first 90 days provides a framework for transition acceleration that will help leaders diagnose their situations, craft winning transition strategies, and take charge quickly. practical examples illustrate how to learn about new organizations, build teams, create coalitions, secure early wins, and lay the foundation for longer-term success. in addition, watkins provides strategies for avoiding the most common pitfalls new leaders encounter, and shows how individuals can protect themselves-emotionally as well as professionally-during what is often an intense and vulnerable period.concise and actionable, this is the survival guide no new leader should be without." few companies develop a systematic 'on-boarding' process for their new leaders, even though this is a critical function with major organizational implications. michael watkins's the first 90 days provides a powerful framework and strategies that will enable new leaders to take charge quickly. it is an invaluable tool for that most vulnerable time-the transition." -goli darabi, senior vice president, corporate leadership & succession management, fidelity investments"every job-private- or public-sector, civilian or military-has its breakeven point, and everyone can accelerate their learning. read this book at least twice: once before your next transition-before getting caught up in the whirl and blur of new faces, names, acronyms, and issues; then read it again after you've settled in, and consider how to accelerate transitions for your next new boss and for those who come to work for you."-colonel eli alford, u.s. army"watkins provides an excellent road map, telling us what all new leaders need to know and do to accelerate their learning and success in a new role. the first 90 days should be incorporated into every company's leadership development strategy, so that anyone making a transition in an organization can get up to speed quicker and smarter."-suzanne m. danielle, director of global leadership development, aventis"michael watkins has nailed a huge corporate problem and provided the solution in one fell swoop. the pressure on new leaders to hit the ground running has never been greater, and the likelihood and cost of failure is escalating. watkins's timing with the first 90 days is impeccable."-gordon curtis, principal, curtis consulting "the first 90 days is a must-read for entrepreneurs. anyone who's been the ceo of a start-up or early-stage company knows that you go through many 90-day leadership transitions in the course of a company's formative years. in this groundbreaking book, michael watkins provides crucial insights, as well as a toolkit of techniques, to enable you to accelerate through these transitions successfully." -mike kinkead, president and ceo, timeblaster corporation, serial entrepreneur, and cofounder and trustee, massachusetts software council

From employees to bosses, a manager’s job is filled with challenges that have to be met quickly and effectively. the new manager’s handbook explains the rules of the game for anyone new to the ranks. you will get invaluable tips for teaming with employees and inspiring breakthrough performance.

From employees to bosses, a manager’s job is filled with challenges that have to be met quickly and effectively. the new manager’s handbook explains the rules of the game for anyone new to the ranks. you will get invaluable tips for teaming with employees and inspiring breakthrough performance.

#1 new york times bestselling author john c. maxwell responds to the most popular questions he's received to help readers achieve greater success. john maxwell, america's #1 leadership authority, has mastered the art of asking questions, using them to learn and grow, connect with people, challenge himself, improve his team, and develop better ideas. in this compact derivative of good leaders ask great questions, he gives detailed answers to the most popular and intriguing questions posed to him by people at all stages of their careers, including: · how can you be a leader if you're at the bottom? · how do you motivate an unmotivated person? · how can you succeed with a leader who is difficult to work with? · how do you find balance between leading others and producing? · what gives a leader sustainability? no matter whether you're a seasoned leader or wanting to take the first steps into leadership, this book will provide helpful and applicable advice and improve your professional life.

This updated edition of management guru ken blanchard’s classic work leadership and the one minute manager teaches leaders the world renowned method of developing self-reliance in those they manage: situational leadership ii.from leadership and the one minute manager you’ll learn why tailoring management styles to individual employees is so important; why knowing when to delegate, support, or direct is critical; and how to identify the leadership style suited to a particular person.by consistently using situational leadership ii’s proven model and powerful techniques, leaders can develop and retain competent, committed employees. this remarkable, easy-to-follow book is a priceless guide to personalized leadership that elicits the best performance from your staff—and the best bottom line for any business.

Learn to lead others, while managing yourself.becoming a manager for the first time means mastering a new set of business and personal skills. hbr's 10 must reads for new managers collection offers the ideas and strategies to help get you there. included in this set are hbr's 10 must reads for new managers, hbr's 10 must reads on managing people, hbr's 10 must reads on managing yourself, and hbr's 10 must reads on managing across cultures. this unique compilation offers insights from world-class experts on the topics most important to your success as a new manager, including assessing your team and enhancing its performance; developing your emotional intelligence and persuasion skills; navigating relationships with your employees, bosses, and peers; dealing with conflict; giving effective feedback; managing diverse teams; and fortifying your own physical and mental energy. the collection includes forty articles selected by hbr's editors from renowned thought leaders including w. chan kim, renee mauborgne, and daniel goleman and features the indispensable article "managing oneself," by peter f. it's time to develop the mindset and presence to successfully manage others for the first time. hbr's 10 must reads for new managers collection will help you do just that.hbr's 10 must reads series is the definitive collection of ideas and best practices for aspiring and experienced leaders alike. these books offer essential reading selected from the pages of harvard business review on topics critical to the success of every manager. each book is packed with advice and inspiration from leading experts such as clayton christensen, rosabeth moss kanter, john kotter, michael porter, theodore levitt, and rita gunther mcgrath.

Develop the mindset and presence to successfully manage others for the first time. if you read nothing else on becoming a new manager, read these 10 articles. this book will inspire you to: develop your emotional intelligence influence your colleagues through the science of persuasion assess your team and enhance its performance network effectively to achieve business goals and for personal advancement navigate relationships with employees, bosses, and peers get support from above view the big picture in your decision making balance your team's work and personal life in a high-intensity workplace this collection of articles includes "becoming the boss," by linda a. hill; "leading the team you inherit," by michael d. watkins; "saving your rookie managers from themselves," by carol a. walker; "managing the high-intensity workplace," by erin reid and lakshmi ramarajan; "harnessing the science of persuasion," robert b. cialdini; "what makes a leader?" by daniel goleman; "the authenticity paradox," by herminia ibarra; "managing your boss," by john j. gabarro and john p. kotter; "how leaders create and use networks," by herminia ibarra and mark lee hunter; "management time: who's got the monkey?" by william oncken, jr., and donald l.