Recommended books for engineering leaders

Books

How to Win Friends and Influence People in the Digital Age — Dale Carnegie

A classic that is a must-read. It covers:

• Six ways to make a lasting impression
• How to maintain others’ trust
• How to lead change without the resistance of resentment

Even if you have read earlier versions, I would recommend reading this one as it has been updated to cover more modern forms of communication.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable — Patrick M Lencioni

This covers the dysfunctions via a fable, then covers each dysfunction in detail.

The five dysfunctions:

• Inattention to results
• Avoidance of accountability
• Lack of commitment
• Fear of conflict
• Absence of trust

The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win — Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford

Told as a story, this book covers identifying and resolving interpersonal and organization dysfunction.

Start with Why — Simon Sinek

“People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won’t truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it.”

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right — Atul Gawande

How well crafted checklists can help both novices and experts get better results.