Reading List: 6 Summer Books For The First-Time Manager

Now that summer is here, this is the ideal time to unwind, recharge, and beat the summer heat.  Curl up with a few good books to read at home, in the park, poolside, or anywhere.  The benefits of reading are much more than entertainment.  It can help you fight depression, increase your confidence, and make you a better decision-maker according to scientific research.

Are you struggling with balancing productivity and leadership? Are you eager to empower your staff?  Keep reading, below there are six books that are a must-read for the firs-time manager to advance in a management career. 

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Happy Reading!

Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams: (Harper Business 2020)

Stefanie Johnson is an Associate Professor of Management at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder. Inclusify reveals the unexpected ways that well-intentioned leaders undermine their teams. Also, it explains how to recognize the myths and misperceptions that drive these behaviors, and provides practical strategies to become an Inclusifyer. By learning why uniqueness and belonging are so imperative, leaders can better understand what makes their employees tick. In addition, find ways to encourage them to be themselves while ensuring they feel like they are fully part of the group.

Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You: (Harvard Review 2020)

Leadership isn’t easy. It takes grit, courage, and vision, among other things, that can be hard to come by on your toughest days.  While many leadership books talk about the development of the leader, this one pushes the envelope by discussing how does a leader makes a long-lasting impact even on his/her absence.  Frances Frei and Anne Morriss offer a different worldview. They argue that this popular leadership advice glosses over the most important thing you do as a leader is to build others up. Leadership isn’t about you. It’s about how effective you are at empowering other people-and making sure this impact endures even in your absence.

Everything Is Figureoutable: (Penguin 2019)

This book is perfect for anyone who feels like they are floundering with their own personal goals and visions for their life from any age. Marie  Forleo does a great job of walking the reader through how to own their life choices. In addition, focus on honesty and moving forward instead of being all talk and no action.  While most self-help books offer quick fixes, Everything is Figureoutable will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks. If you’re having trouble solving a problem or reaching a dream, the problem isn’t you. It’s that you haven’t yet installed the one belief that changes everything.

The Power of Your Leadership: Making a Difference with Others: (Hachette Book Group 2017)

In The Power of Your Leadership, John Maxwell demonstrates what can come from combining personal passion and leadership in a way that goes beyond mere success. By finding like-minded people and putting them first, you can make a difference in their lives. In addition, create a united effort that leaves a lasting positive impact.  John Maxwell uses his personal story of how he became one of the most recognized leadership experts in the world.  He shows you how to lead others according to your own purpose and create a lasting legacy. This book goes into detail about how you can make a difference in the lives of the people with other likeminded people.

Management 101: From Hiring and Firing to Imparting New Skills, an Essential Guide to Management Strategies (Adams Media 2016)

Effective employee management is imperative to a business’s success.  According to Stephen Soundering too often management books turn the important details of best practices into tedious reading.  Therefore making it boring that even a CEO will fall asleep. Management 101 cuts out the boring explanations of management policies.  Instead, it provides hand-on lessons that keep you engaged as you learn how to manage productive and happy employees. From hiring and firing to delegating and coaching, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits. These are concepts that you won’t be able to get anywhere else. So whether you’re a business owner, a middle-manager with many direct reports, or an entry-level employee learning to supervise interns, Management 101 has all the answers–even the ones you didn’t know you were looking for.

The Go-Giver, Expanded Edition: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea (Gildan Media LLC 2015)

This bite-sized book is a good reminder of the importance of a positive-sum, altruistic focus in business. The lessons and “Laws” presented in this book hold value and are likely embodied by most successful entrepreneurs’.  Imparted with wit and grace, The Go-Giver is a classic bestseller that brings to life the old proverb “give and you shall receive.” Today, this timeless story continues to help its readers and listeners find fulfillment.  Also, gain greater success in business, in their personal lives, and in their communities.