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Looks like I might inherit a team of 30 people soon and I want to read-up to make sure I don't ****-up. I've managed a team that size before, but not for almost 15 years and in the years in-between I've been a lone subject matter expert without a team to care for.
I'm up for it. I want to do a good job. There are challenges and a turnaround situation ahead.
It won't happen for three to four months, so I have time to get prepped.
What does the hivemind recommend, please? I'm probably after something that is super practical, rather than high-concept leadership stuff (I can work my way up to that).
Loads of information on the CMI website, you might have to register/ join though, but a wealth of good stuff. Unless you want a how to book by a management guru..
Why employees don't do what they are supposed to do - is a good one as it is simple and clear which is unlike most of that sort of book
Turn The Ship Around - leadership + nuclear submarines!
My CEO once gave me a copy of The Prince by Machiavelli, not quite sure what he was trying to tell me....
Leadership theory and practise is constantly evolving plus it’s a very broad subject. Something like the Harvard Business Review will give you a current flavour and you can read more deeply on the stuff that catches your interest plus understanding what your employer favours - maybe someone in your HR dept can help? Also proponents like Adair on situational and adaptive leadership.
Books by supposedly successful "celebrity" leaders are probably the worst source of information. Full of "survivor bias" BS and taking credit for having extremely fortunate careers.
We use this one at work for leadership training. It is supported by an actual training program though. It's not bad, fairly practical and thought provoking.
Leadership Plan and Simple. Promotes a process called future engage deliver.
Leadership theory and practise is constantly evolving plus it’s a very broad subject.
Academically, probably. Practically, I doubt the fundamentals of good leadership have changed much in the however many odd thousands of years we've had people trying to get other people to do stuff, and they're all covered perfectly by franksinatra's suggestion
Just give the Tories a week or two to remove workers rights then you can tell the team to get the job done or **** off.
A brexit benefit right there.
I'd read a variety and do not just rely on one 'bible', you'll pick and choose which bits suit you and your context best. I completed an MA in leadership and found the reading of journal articles really good as much of it was recent research etc. Your HR may have training materials for leadership in the organisation so you can see what their particular 'culture' is.
A book I found good was 'Leaders Eat Last'.
The best:
Drive - Daniel Pink
Radical Candour - Kim Scott
Others that may be relevant depending on the focus of what you do:
The Lean Startup
The Phoenix Project
Good strategy, bad strategy
Maverick - Ricardo Semler (sounds terrible, actually a really interesting read).
Overall though, the key message is listen to the people.
Rework is a good alternative thinking option, as is lean start up.
Turn the Ship Around is great. It's not full of bullshit "one simple thing" messages, it's just a practical example of how treating people well gets results.
If you're doing any project management dig out The Mythical Man Month - human elements of software projects. An absolute classic.
Read all the business books / been sent on many courses. Just watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV.
As above, loads of good mini articles in Harvard Business Review on specifics.
This is also worth a read:
Great Boss Dead Boss: How to Exact the Very Best Performance from Your Company and Not Get Crucified in the Process
I'd be tempted to find a suitable mentor or coach for this situation, especially the turnaround bit.
Someone you trust with experience of the sector/situation yet sufficiently independent who you can discuss ideas and thoughts with.
Good luck
Maverick by Ricardo Semler.
Read as many of the recommended books as you can, reflect on your own experiences as team member and realize that there will be limits what you can do as a team leader. You need to have full support from your manager as well.
It depends if you have the full backing from your manager, leadership team, and most importantly the ethos of the company. No point in trying to be a lone wolf in a pack of gorillas.
I did an ILM course a while ago on the back of a plant manager fully committed to a change in leadership style. The company got on the right train for a while until the leadership changed, then the approach from higher up management changed back to a dictator style, rather than a leader.
John Adair, Herzberg, were the models we followed. But I like Patagonia’s CEO Yvon Chouniard approach to people management.
Another vote for Turn The Ship Around. Also check out the CMI for loads of good advice; see if your company will sub your membership and CPD.
But fundamentally, regardless of your sector / specialism / industry, leadership and management is a people game so Rule #1 applies at all times.
Everything I know about management come from reading Horatio Hornblower novels... thankfully I only have 2 guys report to me
Jackson Lamb novels by Mick Herron.
Can't go wrong with them...
Gladwell - Talking to strangers
Amongst many, many others
Check out Simon Sinek on Ted talks etc. He speaks a lot of good stuff in particularly engaging way.
Might not be what you're after, but it might also give you a different way to look at managing your team.
My former team leader got 'Team Management for Dummies'.
In a Secret Santa at work.
The resulting HR investigation didn't produce any sackings, so she left.
No idea if the book is any good.
Anyone else thought Boris had just joined the forum??
https://www.hse.gov.uk/managing/delivering/do/organising/controls.htm
https://www.hse.gov.uk/workers/employers.htm
tolley's health and safety handbook 2021
I would also recommend keeping tabs on this website for a constant stream of resources and articles, including some from the Army’s most junior leaders ie the soldiers themselves.
Bullshit jobs by David Graeber is a good read about work, and some bits of management, culture. Also, I found Beyond command and control by John Seddon interesting as a look at systems driving behaviour rather than management styles.
My former team leader got ‘Team Management for Dummies’.
In a Secret Santa at work.
That's a brilliant bit of anonymous passive aggressive push back!
There's a few people I could have given 'Being a complete cock for Dummies' to over the years....
Came here to recommend Simon Sinek and see it’s been done!
Ted talks and podcasts on leadership also very useful.
Can I ask the team make up? Running a team of administrators can be very different from a team of traders.
After seeing the Endurance recommendation, this suddenly popped in to my inbox from Adventurous Ink book club. He has sent Boris a copy with attached letter;
Good on you for wanting to learn. When I was a manager I was crap - at least in part because I received no training
However be vary wary of buzzwords and "management tricks" that come from books - nothing is more offputting to staff that seeing a manager doing stuff that appears to come straight from a management guru book and using words to obfuscate meaning!
Praise staff when its due is the biggest thing managers miss IME
Keith Grint is a nationally regarded academic who has reviewed the acres of the ‘evidence’ on leadership and management and this paper sums up his analysis and is definitely worth reading. Figure 1. is where it goes wrong for most managers who don’t understand the key differences in style and approach required for different situations.
To me a lot of management books are very long winded and tedious explanations of a few key concepts (or what has worked for them in their opinion in their field which might be very different to your own context) primarily to sell a book but most of these concepts are nicely distilled in the The One Minute Manager series of books the most useful of which for any manager wishing to keep their sanity is The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey. Loads second hand on eBay for a few quid. Good luck!
IMO the good team leaders are just naturally good at it, the ones that tend to go on lots of courses or think they know it tend to be shit
It’s a bit of a cliche but it is true:
Management is doing things right
Leadership is doing the right things
Leaders can be at any level in a company. Good companies will recognise this.
My philosophy as a manager was to find good opportunities and be sure to give them to others. Often management is thought of as an add-on to the day job. Companies that take management seriously know that this is not true. You need to dedicate time to your team. Time you can’t spend doing the day job.
Watch Star Trek TNG.
Do what Picard does.