Listmania!
Management books that don't suck
By an Amazon.com customer
First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do DifferentlyFirst, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham
Buy new: $19.80 / Used from: $4.80
What things correlate best to productive, loyal employees? Some of them might surprise you. Also, stop trying to fix peoples' faults - find roles for them that fit their talents.
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don'tGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins
Buy new: $17.54 / Used from: $2.99
Quantitative analysis on properties of great companies. Perhaps more valuable to executives, but understanding what makes a "level 5 leader" is valuable for middle and line managers too. Also hammers in the importance of "getting the right people on the bus."
Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary CompaniesBuilt to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins
Buy new: $18.15 / Used from: $11.11
People who like "Good to Great" also like "Built to Last"
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair GameMoneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis
Buy new: $10.04 / Used from: $1.94
A parable on following metrics, not your gut.
It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the NavyIt's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy by Michael Abrashoff
Buy new: $15.72 / Used from: $5.90
Even in the military, staying out of the way of top performers can only lead to goodness.
The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design FirmThe Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm by Tom Kelley
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $12.58
Good tips on generating ideas and structuring brainstorming sessions.
Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay (4th edition)Love 'em or Lose 'em: Getting Good People to Stay (4th edition) by Beverly Kaye
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $6.12
If you have a team of top performers, then you have a retention problem. Don't get caught surprised when someone wants to move on.
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing ImprovementThe Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $9.97
Basically required reading for management at Amazon.
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free ProductivityGetting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
Buy new: $9.36 / Used from: $7.49
You don't have time to be a leader if you're spending your day keeping up with email.
The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Collins Business Essentials)The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Collins Business Essentials) by Clayton M. Christensen
Buy new: $12.23 / Used from: $4.45
Learn to recognize - and hopefully create - "disruptive" innovation.
Fast Second: How Smart Companies Bypass Radical Innovation to Enter and Dominate New Markets (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership)Fast Second: How Smart Companies Bypass Radical Innovation to Enter and Dominate New Markets (J-B US non-Franchise Leadership) by Constantinos C. Markides
Buy new: $23.00 / Used from: $4.94
A good follow up read after reading "The Innovator's Dilemma."
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition IrrelevantBlue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $10.88
How to create new markets that you can control, instead of competing in markets that are already saturated.
Agile and Iterative Development: A Manager's GuideAgile and Iterative Development: A Manager's Guide by Craig Larman
Buy new: $38.99 / Used from: $29.99
There are other ways of doing agile besides scrum. This overview might turn you on to one that's an even better fit for your team.
Crystal Clear: A Human-Powered Methodology for Small TeamsCrystal Clear: A Human-Powered Methodology for Small Teams by Alistair Cockburn
Buy new: $23.99 / Used from: $11.40
If you have a small, focused team of top performers, even scrum can be too heavyweight.
The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management (Collins Business Essentials)The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management (Collins Business Essentials) by Peter F. Drucker
Buy new: $12.50 / Used from: $7.18
A familiarity with Peter Drucker is necessary if you want to hold your own in conversations with MBA's.