Want to know the 3 must-read books for newly hired managers? Well then, keep on reading.
One of the hardest things a newly hired manager has to grapple with is learning a whole bunch of new skills in a short amount of time. One of the fastest and cheapest ways to learn new skills is by reading applicable books on the topic.
There is no shortage of books on management, leadership, and work. But, it can be daunting to know which ones will be the most helpful or the most applicable.
While there are many books written for people who have been leaders at their company for a long time, this post will specifically focus on the must-read books for newly hired managers.
Must-Read Books for Newly Hired Managers #1: The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield is an all-purpose, all-encompassing personal development book.
This book is a great place to start if you have never read self-help or personal development book.
It covers almost every topic of personal development.
It covers so many topics that the book is incredibly in-depth. There are six main sections of the book and each section has small, bite-sized chapters that go into specific topics.
The Success Principles covers topics such as:
- deciding what you want
- persistence
- exceeding expectations
- transforming yourself
- developing habits
- staying motivated
- redefining time
- having difficult conversations
- develop a positive money consciousness
The Success Principles is the most comprehensive personal development book I have ever read and is a great choice if you don’t want to buy a ton of generic personal development books.
Must-Read Books for Newly Hired Managers #2: The First Time Manager by Jim McCormick
The First Time Manager is like having an on-hand guidebook to becoming a manager. The book has short chapters on almost every situation a newly hired manager will face in the role.
The book is broken down into different sections with each section having short chapters that go in-depth into specific topics, much like the way The Success Principles is organized.
The First Time Manager is written in a very logical format for someone who is preparing for being a manager for the first time.
The book is easy to navigate and will come in handy for the beginning phases of being a new manager.
It is a great book to have on hand to reference how to handle different, tricky situations when they come up.
The First Time Manager covers topics such as:
- hiring
- firing
- creating a team dynamic
- communication
- active listening
- class and style
The First Time Manager is a great book for any newly hired manager in any industry and is widely applicable and helpful.
Must-Read Books for Newly Hired Managers #3: The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter by Michael D. Watkins is a book about leadership transitions. The book is backed up by a lot of research and is more specific than the other two books in this post.
Since you are a newly hired manager, you are in a period of career transition. And as Watkins talks about in the book, you are probably simultaneously going through multiple transitions just by taking your new role.
A new role is a transition.
A new company is a transition.
A new industry.
A new city.
And with each transition, there is a higher likelihood of falling into what Watkins calls one of the “transition traps. This book is much more focused on new leaders or just leaders who are in a new role of some sort and less about brand new managers.
The First 90 Days also has much more managerial and corporate jargon than The Success Principles or The First Time Manager.
Resources:
It presents a research-backed way of thinking about your new position and offers case studies to help you either emulate successful leaders or avoid the pitfalls of some failed leaders.
The book is based on the idea that first impressions matter. And that the impression you make at the beginning of your role sets the tone for the rest of your career trajectory in that role.
The book is filled with questions to ask yourself, charts, and worksheets to fill out for you to evaluate yourself and make adjustments if needed.
The First 90 Days covers topics such as:
- creating a learning plan
- negotiating your success
- securing early wins
- matching strategy to the situation
- creating alliances
- building a team
- balance at work and home
The First 90 Days is denser than the other books and each concept builds on itself since the book is meant to be read and implemented chronologically. It is a great read if you are a newly hired manager in a leadership position.
While there are a lot of books for managers and leaders, these are the 3 must-read books for newly hired managers.
If you want something shorter to read but just as impactful, make sure you get my free guide to overcoming impostor syndrome.