In honor of National Book Lover’s Day (August 9), we asked our leadership team what books made the most impact on their paths to management, sales, and software development. Here are some of their recommendations.
Insights in Management and Leadership
Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters
This practical guide to fostering a powerful leadership team provides a clear framework for understanding the roles of “Visionaries” and “Integrators” in an organization and how they can work together to drive success.
High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove
The former chairman and CEO of Intel, Andy Grove, drives home a management philosophy centered around communication. Using his real-life experience, Grove offers practical advice on effectively managing and optimizing business operations.
Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire by Dan Martell
The world’s most popular SaaS coach teaches entrepreneurs at every level how to scale their business fast while avoiding burnout. The takeaway? Trading money for time—that is, buying back free space in your calendar—will give you more financial success than you ever dreamed possible.
Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections on and Off the Court by John Wooden with Steve Jamison
From the famous UCLA college basketball coach John Wooden comes a compilation of tenets and teachings that brought him and his teams to greatness. Organized by theme, this reflective, thoughtful collection of quotables is a quick, digestible read of advice that will carry you through your career.
Vital for Sales and Business
Measure What Matters: OKRs: The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth by John Doerr.
“In 1999, legendary venture capitalist John Doerr invested $11.8 million in a startup that had amazing technology, entrepreneurial energy and sky-high ambitions, but no real business plan. Doerr introduced the founders to OKRs, Objectives and Key Results, a revolutionary approach to goal-setting, and with OKRs at the foundation of their management, the startup grew from forty employees to more than 70,000 with a market cap exceeding $600 billion. The startup was Google.” In Measure What Matters, Doerr shares a broad range of first-person, behind-the-scenes case studies with narrators, including Bono and Bill Gates, to demonstrate the focus, agility, and explosive growth that OKRs have spurred at many great organizations.
Getting to Yes: The Secret to Successful Negotiation by Roger Fisher and William Ury
A precious tome for anyone seeking to improve their negotiation skills. The authors present a practical approach to negotiation, emphasizing collaboration and win-win outcomes. This book can benefit personal and professional negotiations with its clear principles and actionable strategies.
Essential For Software Development and Agile
Gödel, Escher, Bach: A Mental Space Odyssey by Justin Curry and Curran Kelleher
This book explores the connections between mathematics, art, and music. For software programmers and developers, it offers a unique perspective on creativity, problem-solving, and the interconnectedness of complex systems. Reading this book can inspire new ways of thinking and problem-solving in software development.
Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner
This book provides insights into entrepreneurship, innovation, and the power of passion and determination. Reading about the successes and challenges of these visionary game developers can serve as motivation and provide valuable lessons for those aspiring to make an impact in the software industry.
The Practice of Programming by Brian Kernighan and Rob Pike
A practical and hands-on guide written by two renowned computer scientists, this book offers valuable techniques and best practices for writing efficient, reliable, and maintainable code. It covers various aspects of software development, from algorithm design to debugging and testing, making it a comprehensive resource that can enhance the skills and professionalism of software engineers at any level.
Of course, all software developers should have The C Programming Language, The Unix Programming Environment (also by Kernighan and Pike), Unix Network Programming, and The Design and Implementation of the 4.4BSD Operating System.
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