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Elevate your summer with our curated Summer Reading List tailored for project managers and leaders.
Each book on this list are from my personal library and are highly recommended. This selection features insightful books on leadership, project management techniques, strategy delivery, team dynamics, strategic thinking, and personal growth. Discover cutting-edge delivery methodologies, inspiring success stories, and practical tips to enhance your skills and drive your projects to success.
Whether you're taking a break or seeking professional development, these reads will inspire and empower you to lead with confidence and innovation all summer long. Don't miss out on these must-reads for transformative leadership!
"The Myth of the Nice Girl: Achieving a Career You Love Without Becoming a Person You Hate" - Fran Hauser
I believe many women struggle with balancing bringing your authentic self to work versus feeling that you have to put on a persona to fit in or to climb to the career ladder. I admit I am a recovering people-pleaser. I felt that I always had to be a the PM-hero and rescue failing projects, working 60/80 hours a week, and was afraid to say "No" in fear of losing that next promotion. I also felt that I needed to become a different ugly version of myself to fit in within the male-dominated world of tech to be considered leadership material, tough, and credible.
From the Amazon Book Review - "This book deconstructs the negative perception of "niceness" that many women struggle with in the business world. If women are nice, they are seen as weak and ineffective, but if they are tough, they are labeled a bit*h. The author proves that you don't have to sacrifice their values and hide their authentic personalities to be successful. THE MYTH OF THE NICE GIRL is a refreshing dose of forward-looking feminism that will resonate with smart, professional women who know what they want and are looking for real advice to take their career to the next level without losing themselves in the process."
This book is in my top 3 highly recommended PM books for any PM leader. If you want to change your mindset as someone who simply delivers projects, to someone who delivers value that helps move company strategy and value forward, this book is for you. Anyone who is interested in moving up the PM career ladder will want to read this book "The DNA of Strategy Execution" by Jack Duggal, and brainstorm ways to incorporate the communicated strategies into your current role and prep for interviews for future PMO leadership opportunities.
I have not had the pleasure of experiencing a Jack Duggal presentation, but I understand is is presenting at PMI Training Boston 2024 that is being held the week of July 15 - 18, 2024. Here is information regarding his session "Next-Generation Power Skills: Leadership, Change, and Influence - How to DANCE with Increasing Uncertainty and Complexity" with Jack Duggal.
A couple of years ago, I found myself in a very challenging team environment where there was a narcissistic leader on another team whose projects were never delivered successfully. My team of PMs supported this team, and it was a daily struggle to navigate difficult political waters. I'm a problem solver by nature and wanted to figure out a way to improve this situation by utilizing all of the tools from my "PM toolbox" and influencing without authority to guide the team in a more positive direction. What became clear to me was that the leader on this team needed AND wanted to be the center of the universe and to be considered the supreme expert. Their team members felt defeated, unempowered to make decisions, and struggled to have their voices heard.
One of the basic tenets of leadership is that great leaders create environments where their people thrive and the leaders are NOT the center of attention. This book drives this point home. From the Amazon Book Review - "Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders create environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things. Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside."
"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life" - Mark Manson
This book was recommended to me during a period of reflection and self-discovery. I have already mentioned that I am a recovering people-pleaser who had questionable work/life boundaries. Years ago I would become so emotionally involved in work, that any failure felt like a personal attack. This book helped me counteract my thought cycles into one where I cared less about what people thought of me to living a more freeing life, with less pressure to please.
This book discusses the concept of there are only so many things we can give a f**ck about so we truly need to figure out the ones that truly matter.
The author, Mark Manson, has a YouTube Channel with several insightful videos and interviews. Check out his video "How to Accomplish Far More While Working Less (ft. Cal Newport)".
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