Top People Management books recommended by experts

At MentorCruise, we are all about making the most out of the experience of others. As part of that, we've connected and asked dozens of experts and professionals about their favourite People Management books – and here are the answers.

Table of Contents

Fundamentals of People Management

Understanding the concepts of People Management starts with understanding the fundamentals. On your way to mastery, it's crucial for you to understand how certain concepts were derived, and why things work like they do. Starting with these resources is the best way to do so.

Welcome to Management: How to Grow From Top Performer to Excellent Leader

Welcome to Management by Ryan Hawk is more than a guide on how to effectively lead people. It will force you to look inward and rethink how you learn, grow, and improve. If you want to scale up your leadership ability, you must read this book.” “Greatness is in the agency of others.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams is a 1987 book on the social side of software development, specifically managing project teams. It was written by software consultants Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister, from their experience in the world of software development.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You

That's exactly how Julie Zhuo felt when she became a rookie manager at the age of 25. She stared at a long list of logistics--from hiring to firing, from meeting to messaging, from planning to pitching--and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. How was she supposed to spin teamwork into value? How could she be a good steward of her reports' careers? What was the secret to leading with …

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion

This book explains why people are divided by politics and religion. The answer is not that some people are good and some are evil. Instead, that out minds were designed for groupish righteousness. We are deeply intuitive creatures who's gut feelings drive our strategic reasoning.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Management of the Absurd

In Management of the Absurd, Richard Farson zeros in on the paradoxes of communication, the politics of management, and the dilemmas of change, exploring relationships within organizations and offering a unique perspective on the challenges managers face.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box

Leadership and Self-Deception Book Summary at a Glance. Leadership and Self-Deception explains how self-deception clouds our vision, leading us to blame others rather than admitting our own faults and part in the problem.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

Additional People Management Reading

These books are not required for you to learn People Management, but they are highly recommended for you to deepen your knowledge.

People Management: Everything you need to know about managing and leading people at work

As a manager, it's not always inherently easy to understand how to best lead and communicate with your team. You don’t become a great manager overnight—you have to work at it just like anything else you want to excel at.This book will teach you everything you need to know about becoming a better manager and leader of people.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.

The Talent Code is a book written by Daniel Coyle that explores the concept of talent development and the factors that contribute to exceptional performance. Scientists have discovered that myelin might just be the holy grail: the foundation of all forms of greatness!

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The First-Time Manager

The First Time Manager by L. Belker, J McCormick and G Topchik is a great guide for anyone looking to step up in their career and take on the role of a manager. They cover different types of managers, different types of employees and discuss how to handle the transition from employee to manager.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, 20th Anniversary Edition

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" is an exploration of the pitfalls that can ensnare a team, obstructing it from reaching the crescendo of its potential. The five dysfunctions he outlines are absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results.

Recommended by the experts and mentors at MentorCruise

This list is curated by MentorCruise and can include Amazon affiliate links. Have any other suggestions? Add here.

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Welcome to Your Next Step in Information Security Mastery! In a field as dynamic and critical as information security, your journey from learning the ropes to mastering the domain requires more than just technical knowledge—it demands a roadmap tailored to your unique career aspirations and challenges. That's where I come …

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Hi there! My name is Sebastiano, and I'm an experienced engineering leader with a passion for helping others grow in their careers. I'm currently an Engineering leader at Meta, I've previously served as a Director of Engineering at Upwork and held leadership roles at companies such as Pinterest, PayPal, Snap, …

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I've spent my entire career in video game development. I am currently working for a 3rd person action MOBA called Predecessor (https://www.predecessorgame.com/). Before that, I was at Ubisoft Sofia on Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and its 3rd DLC - Dawn of Ragnarok, and even further back I have also worked with …

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I’m a senior Human Resources leader with 18+ years of experience working across technology, media, and professional services organizations in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. Throughout my career, I’ve partnered with large global companies that operate both startup ventures and established business units, helping them build high-impact, human-centered people functions …

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Hi! I'm Sara, from Switzerland 👋 I'm an ICF member (International Coaching Federation), ACC Certified Coach, and Top Mentor. I led HR and operations in 3 scaling businesses before stepping into mentoring, coaching, and consulting. I now advise startups, coach founders on hiring and scaling a business, and mentor professionals …

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I'm Michael, a retired professional based in Spain with a wealth of leadership, industry, coaching, and transformative experience. Over my 30-year career, I've navigated various sectors, including Retail Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Manufacturing, Telecoms, and Government, both as a permanent member of staff and as a freelance advisor. Recently, I've …

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  • "Naz is an amazing person and a wonderful mentor. She is supportive and knowledgeable with extensive practical experience. Having been a manager at Netflix, she also knows a ton about working with teams at scale. Highly recommended."

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