10 books every new manager should read

Now that you're in charge of a team of people, how will you inspire them to perform at their best?

In this bestselling business book, Pink explains why, contrary to popular belief, extrinsic incentives like money aren't the best way to motivate high performance. Instead, employers should focus on cultivating in their workers a sense of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in order to help them succeed.

Using real-life anecdotes and research, Pink walks readers through each of these three concepts and why they're absolutely crucial in the business world.

Find it here >>

According to Buckingham, great managers are able to identify their employees' individual strengths and capitalize on them. This approach, he argues, is considerably more effective than trying to improve people's weak points.

Among the tips he offers for motivating high performance: Set clear expectations, offer praise and recognition, and show people you care about them.

It's a compelling read that will make the transition from managing yourself to managing others that much easier.

Find it here >>

This 2011 bestseller is a favorite of Jack Zenger, cofounder and CEO of leadership consultancy Zenger/Folkman.

Kahneman, a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics, breaks down all of human thought into two systems: the fast and intuitive "System 1" and the slow and deliberate "System 2." Using this framework, he lays out a number of cognitive biases that affect our everyday behavior, from the halo effect to the planning fallacy.

As you transition into people management, this book will help you anticipate the psychological stumbling blocks you and your team will encounter, and give you scientific strategies for overcoming them.

Find it here >>

"Act Like a Leader" is chock full of unconventional advice for both current and aspiring managers.

For example, Ibarra, a professor at business school INSEAD, suggests leaders act first and then think, so that they learn from experimentation and direct experience. There's even an entire chapter devoted to the dangers of being too authentic at work.

Overall, the book is a reminder that, in order to lead your team to greatness, you'll have to step outside your comfort zone.

Find it here >>

Eighty years after its initial publication, this book is still a bestseller. Legendary investor Warren Buffett has even named it one of his favorite books, noting that it helped get him through rough times in high school.

Carnegie's advice focuses on maximizing your interactions with other people — something that will be crucial to your success as a leader (and in life generally). For example: Encourage people to talk about themselves, instead of dominating the conversation. Emphasize the things you both agree on.

Overall, the book will help you build the self-confidence necessary to lead, motivate, and inspire your team.

Find it here >>

Dweck, a Stanford psychologist, made waves among parents and educators when she first published "Mindset" in 2006.

More recently, she's shown that her ideas apply just as well to the business world, and Joe Folkman, president of Zenger/Folkman says it's one of his favorite reads.

In the book, Dweck suggests that having a "growth" mindset — believing you can develop skills and talents through hard work — leads to greater success than having a "fixed" mindset — believing your competencies are what they are.

The takeaway for managers is that encouraging your employees to learn and grow, and emphasizing the potential you see in them, will pay off big.

Find it here >>

The English translation of "Meditations" is a collection of personal writings — never meant to be published — by Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor who ruled from 161 to 180 A.D.

In Book 11, Aurelius focuses on the qualities and behaviors that make a great leader, like remembering your fallibility and keeping control over your emotions.

Aurelius' advice is still relevant and valuable, even if you're managing a few people and not leading an empire.

Find it here >>

This classic novel, about the spread of British colonialism in a fictional Nigerian village, raises some important questions about what makes a successful leader. For example: What do you do when your ambitions conflict with the group's interests?

In fact, one lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business often includes this book, among other works of fiction, in his curriculum.

For new managers who are exhausted from the barrage of advice they've been receiving, this book makes its point a little more subtly than some of the other leadership tomes out there.

Find it here >>

Facebook's HR chief Lori Goler says she came across this book early on in her career, and it influenced her personal management philosophy.

The main idea is that companies can achieve better performance by helping their employees pinpoint their unique talents. The book is centered around the "Clifton Strengths Finder," an online assessment that will help you do just that. (The assessment is based on a Gallup study of 2 million people in a range of industries.)

Armed with a greater understanding of your individual skills, you can work on becoming a better leader, a better people developer, and a stronger contributor to your organization overall.

Find it here >>

Writing in The Harvard Business Review, John Coleman says this bestseller is required reading for young leaders.

The book is based on a five-year research project that involved identifying companies that leapt from good to great results and comparing them to average companies to figure out the difference between them. Collins distills these results into solid advice on what he calls "Level 5 Leadership" and management strategy.

Find it here >>