Best Management Books for Aspiring Business Leaders

Good management skills are crucial for leaders to reach their maximum potential and help their organizations meet their objectives. Although business leaders must have diverse and wide-ranging skills, people management is at the top of the list.

New technologies are emerging every day, and employees at every level need to engage in continuous learning. However, one constant is people. People will always be your company’s most important asset. If you want to help your business attract, engage, and retain the best talent, you need top-notch management skills.¹

To hone your management skills and understand various management styles, you can learn a lot by reading books on management. The best books on leadership and modern management can help you overcome challenges, expose you to new ideas, and offer first-hand insight from top CEOs and other leaders.²

This article will cover five of the best business management books so you can improve your skills and learn from the experience of others.

Thousands of business books are published every year, and you’ll never be able to read them all. As a busy professional, you must focus on activities that will provide the best return on your time investment. Books can provide unique perspectives and demonstrate different management philosophies and strategies. However, you’ll get the most out of your reading time if you choose books that are relevant to the challenges you’re currently experiencing. You should also read actively by taking notes and putting what you learn into practice.³

Books offer a simple and quick way to learn from the experiences of the world's greatest managers. You can delve into their experiences and challenges in a few hundred pages, gaining fresh insights and powerful lessons that may have taken them years to master.⁴

However, there are some skills - such as emotional intelligence and how to influence people - you can only learn from direct interactions and engaging in real-world scenarios. This is why learning in a formal environment such as an MBA program can give you powerful first-hand experience that goes deeper than a book.

Any list of the top business books will be subjective, but these five are essential reading because of the value they provide. Reading through this list will give you exposure to a range of management topics and voices.

This book was released in 2001, but its lessons are still just as applicable today as they were when it was first published. Jim Collins studied many businesses extensively to figure out how great companies distinguished themselves from those that are merely good. He found that many companies fail to achieve greatness because they become complacent. He also concluded that effectively managing the people in an organization is the key to becoming a great business. Collins also postulated that focusing on core competencies and values is vital to business success. Further, the cumulative effect of incremental moves toward excellence based on those core competencies, rather than simply reacting to external variables, is what creates greatness. ⁵

This book focuses on five obstacles to effective teams. In it, Lencioni maintains that any organization where everyone is aligned and working toward the same outcome can dominate its industry. Unfortunately, teams often fall victim to one of the five dysfunctions that prevent this perfect alignment. These include:⁶

• Not trusting each other
• Avoiding conflict
• Not committing to the same goals
• Avoiding accountability
• Not paying attention to the results

This classic leadership book outlines what practices empower great managers. One of the basic principles of the book is that knowledge workers are most productive when given autonomy and flexibility in their work. He also highlights the need to develop people and build effective teams to increase employee engagement and support high-output management. This book thoroughly explores the foundational skills, including tie management, decision-making and communication skills that make a manager a true leader.⁷

Investor John Doerr developed a system for achieving big goals with his OKR system. OKR stands for objectives and key results. His book includes numerous case studies and first-hand accounts of leaders who’ve changed the world by channeling their focus and ambition through setting goals and measuring their progress.⁸

Change management is an essential part of modern business leadership. John Kotter outlines the eight steps for successfully executing business strategy and change management in this must-read book for aspiring leaders. They include:⁹

• Inspiring people to act
• Building a core of committed leaders
• Laying out a strategic vision
• Enlisting active volunteers
• Removing barriers to action
• Recognizing short-term wins
• Sustaining your success
• Reinforcing positive results

Not every management book will be a great fit for you. Start by choosing a book that speaks to the topics you’re most interested in, your current stage of development, or a specific issue you’re facing.³

If you’re focused on reaching big goals, you might want to start with “Measure What Matters.” If you’re just starting out and want to develop a strong foundation for your management style, “The Effective Executive” would be a good choice.

If you’re ready to take your career to the next level, an Online MBA from Seattle University can equip you with the skills you’ll need to lead today’s complex businesses. The values-centered program will help you understand, integrate, and apply business principles to business challenges in as few as two and a half years of studying part-time.

The challenging curriculum covers strategic thinking, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration. You’ll learn from expert faculty how to identify challenges and opportunities and work with your classmates to apply your learning in scenarios based on today's business realities. Seattle U Albers MBA graduates work for top companies in all industries. Reach out to an admissions outreach advisor today to find out how Seattle U can help you become the leader you want to be.