The Best Books About Management — 6 Titles You Need to Know

Management is a challenging aspect of business and, at the same time, an art that requires constant improvement. In a competitive, ever-changing reality, the ability to effectively manage teams, projects, or entire organizations becomes a key factor for success.

To meet these challenges, managers must turn to reliable sources of knowledge. These sources should, first and foremost, inspire and, second, offer practical solutions that can be implemented in daily work. For this reason, we have prepared a list of selected books on business management.

Whether you are just beginning your management journey or you are an experienced leader, you will surely find something in these books that will help you take your skills to the next level. These are primarily books about team management for managers, but people in other positions will also find many valuable insights in these readings. Discover our recommendations and get inspired to take action!

1. Leadership Is Language: The Hidden Power of What You Say — and What You Don’t — David Marquet

This is a book about actions but, above all, about words. A former submarine commander focuses on communication. The book explores how the words spoken by a leader can be perceived differently depending on various verbal and non-verbal factors.

Leadership Is Language is a practical guide full of examples and tools that can be applied in different contexts, from small teams to large organizations. Marquet demonstrates how to transform the traditional, authority-based leadership approach into a model that supports autonomy and shared responsibility, leading to sustainable and effective management.

2. The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter — Michael D. Watkins

The first few months in a new team are incredibly demanding. You need to make a good impression on the board and directors and “justify your presence in the position.” At the same time, gaining the trust of the team, which has its habits and work mechanics, becomes crucial — so that its members feel comfortable and seamlessly accept the new reality.

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Michael Watkins focuses on the first three months of a manager in a new job. He presents examples of difficult situations that every manager will encounter at some point, describes potential pitfalls, and outlines areas where taking the initiative will be appreciated by the team. This set of tips and strategies can benefit even experienced managers.

3. Drive. The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us — Daniel Pink

For many people, this is the first book that comes to mind when they think of “books on people management.” After all, a manager’s most important skill is motivating employees. The author breaks this down into its core elements, describing different types of motivation that drive each of us. This book for managers focuses primarily on understanding the individual mechanisms and motivations of each team member and how to connect with each employee.

Daniel Pink provides numerous examples and anecdotes from decades of professional experience and draws on many studies in the field of psychology. He also introduces proven tools that can help in team management.

4. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t — Jim Collins

Originally published in 2001, this book still provides a wealth of valuable information despite the decades since its release. Jim Collins analyzes and lists common characteristics of several selected brands that have achieved impressive success in business.

This handbook is filled with examples of what every organization — regardless of its development stage — should strive for. To increase profits and grow while providing employees with a workplace that inspires growth and continuous skill enhancement. If you are going to learn, learn from the best.

5. The Power of Positive Leadership: How and Why Positive Leaders Transform Teams and Organizations and Change the World — Jon Gordon

Based on years of practice, this book offers advice on building and maintaining teams. Contrary to managerial handbooks from the 90s, Jon Gordon argues that a team leader does not need to instill fear to be recognized as a true leader. The author outlines the aspects that a leader needs to work on to make their team effective and motivated. Teamwork begins with the leader themselves, and if they are authentic in their approach, the team will follow. When it comes to people management — this book is a must-have.

Contrary to what it may seem, positive leadership does not mean sugar-coating reality and keeping a fake smile when things go wrong. With Jon Gordon’s handbook, you will learn how to handle difficult situations and bring them to the right resolution without leaving chaos in your wake — and, most importantly, how to be a boss who inspires. Among the comments in the reviews, you can find statements like “the best book on people management.”

6. Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon — Colin Bryar, Bill Carr

This book is not a management handbook but rather a case study of Amazon’s success. Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, the authors of the book, held managerial positions in the corporation founded by Jeff Bezos for many years. The creators of this publication put a strong emphasis on describing the processes that transformed a small online bookstore into a global hegemon in many industries. For companies aiming to scale up and grow by looking at the most striking example in modern history, this book is extremely valuable — although it is clearly written in collaboration with Amazon’s PR department.

The book also includes examples of specific projects, such as Amazon Prime, Alexa, and Amazon Web Services, showing how the presented principles were implemented step-by-step in practice. Although its main focus is not strictly on team management, the book will be useful to any corporate manager.