Leadership and Management discussion

I was hoping you could help me with your thoughts on newly promoted supervisors/managers. I think we have all seen people who are great at their work, but once promoted, the same people can struggle to find their feet.

What is the best book for new managers that you would give them?

I'm hoping we can gather a great list of books for new managers!

I consider these “must reads.” In no particular order:

The 5 Levels of Leadership, John C. Maxwell
High Output Management, Andrew S. Grove
Thinking in Bets, Annie Duke
Principles, Ray Dalio
Pitch Perfect, Bill McGowan
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz
Getting Things Done, David Allen

Zack wrote: "I consider these “must reads.”

Thanks Zack - a great list to start us off!

This is a great question, Dominic. I typically focus my leadership book club on books that help existing leaders think and learn and grow (we just read and discussed How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi and are now reading Good Economics for Hard Times Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo - I highly recommend both and in that order)

Toward the goal of helping new managers understand and think about people as having potential, I'll add to Zack's list three that I thought of immediately:

Drive by Daniel Pink
Intrinsic Motivation at work by Kenneth Thomas (a recognized employee engagement expert)
Mindset by Carol Dweck

I'll add on as I think of more.

Kim wrote: "I typically focus my leadership book club on books that help existing leaders "

Thanks Kim - good suggestions! Which group is that? Sounds interesting.

Thanks for asking, Dominic. It's called Read 2 Lead. As with many groups, we used to meet in person but we've moved online. Meet a lot of interesting people that way. For our June discussion, I only knew 3 of the 15 attendees.

We're on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/read...

The first post on the page has a link to our upcoming event. Consider joining us!

Kim wrote: "For our June discussion..."

Thanks I will definitely have a look!

Hi Dominic,

This challenge is just so prevalent across all industries. You'd think humans would learn but we just don't seem to :)

One of the best long-term books, for someone who wants to develop a career in management, is The Leadership Pipeline. It's a like a bible of how to evolve one's mindset and related skills, to adjust to each level of management. The first move into first-line management is the hardest - how do you get the work done "through the team". It's a big shift.

I hope you don't mind posting this (but I am seeking to add value, I swear) but my own book, which is just out, would be a great addition to the list of management books. It's called SMART Objective Setting for Managers: A Roadmap (mybook.to/SMARTManagers) and it examples how to design and agree effective smart objectives that really sets out expectations and increases the likelihood of success.

The book breaks down the 4 main issues managers struggle with and how to prevent, minimise or overcome them. The feedback has been fantastic and I really think this book would be a great addition to any new front-line manager.

Irial wrote: "This challenge is just so prevalent across all industries..."

Thanks Irial, I will be interested to have a look at these.

Hi Dominic,

Just thought I'd let you know that today is my book's initial launch day and it's now available on Amazon:

SMART Objective Setting for Managers : A Roadmap

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08K939TJ5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1838073116
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08K939TJ5
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08K939TJ5

Book launch prices:
Kindle: $0.99, £0.77, €0.89
Paperback: $9.99, £7.79, €8.99

Here's what the reviews are saying:
"A EUREKA moment in every chapter, which is unique and very rare in most management books."
"Highly recommend"
"Why didn't you write this years ago!"
A must read for every manager"
"HR people and Executive Leaders, buy one for every one of your managers."

Hi Everyone,

I'm so excited to be in this group.

I have been fired, let go, demoted, punished, ridiculed, reprimanded, reassigned, embarrassed, provoked, called foolish, ineffective, and worst of all disgruntled. The whole time, I thought the problem was them… It wasn’t. It was me. Me, wanting to feel good rather than being effective. Me, hiding behind my principles. Me, not wanting to take a stand. Me, being embarrassed. Me, being scared. Me, and my misunderstanding of what it takes to be a Good Manager.

I'd like to introduce you to my latest book, The Good Manager: Being Great is Overrated!.

My goal is to help you wherever you are in your management career.

It's been a while since I was on Good Reads. I hope you are still looking for good books for new supervisors/managers. Please check out my book, Management Culture: Innovative and Bold Strategies to Engage Employees (mgmtculture.com). I wrote it to challenge the culture of what it means to be "the boss." Great bosses don't conform to the traditional cultural pressures to treat staff like property, inferiors, cogs in a machine or children. They treat people with respect and appreciation. The book is full of examples and practical advice. If you like it, please consider reviewing it too! Thanks!

I think you can’t go past the One Minute Manager series. Game changer for new managers.

Zoe wrote: "I think you can’t go past the One Minute Manager series."

Thanks Zoe - it's defintiely a great assistance!