I realised I had gained a reputation for recommending books when it became a joke on Slack. I'm not even particularly well read, but there are some foundational concepts in teamwork, management, leadership, and tech, that come up time and time again. Sometimes the key lesson only takes a sentence to explain, but a book will reinforce the idea much more strongly. Here are the most impactful books I invariably keep coming back to.

First, Break All The Rules by Marcus Buckingham — This is the book every new manager must read. Based on over 80,000 interviews with real managers, you get the concentrated wisdom of a lot of painful lessons, hard won. Indeed, the book starts with an interview with a head waiter which feels bizarre, but you quickly understand the importance of the first lesson it's teaching you.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni — At its heart, the book introduces a simple pyramid model for how to diagnose the immediate problem to fix in a dysfunctional team. I have used it so many times I've lost count; I'd ask my managers, "What dysfunction is your team stuck on?" The book teaches the model using the novelisation of a bickering exec team of a fictional company with a new CEO.

Accelerate by Forsgren, Humble, Kim — In my final team as a manager, I bought all senior engineers reporting to me this book. It didn't come with any homework or expectations, just the message that there is valuable engineering insight here. The authors do the hard work of compiling and aggregating the data of what the best teams in tech do in practice. The content is dense and short, making this my #1 book for tech specifically.

The Phoenix Project by Kim, Behr, and Spafford — Like The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, The Phoenix Project uses the novelisation of a struggling fictional company to demonstrate complex concepts. A new leader takes over leadership of a doomed project, which becomes the only hope for turning around the wider company's fortunes. You will likely see characters in the book reflected in your own colleagues.

Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson — The author identifies four key personality types, and argues that most people are a mixture of some of them. Once you understood what each personality type values, and why, you are shown how to tailor your communication appropriately for different audiences.

The Art of Action by Stephen Bungay — Uses historical examples of success in warfare, from effective leadership, communication, and delegation. The cycle of plans, actions, and effects, and the common problems that occur between them, is a revelation: it completely changed how I viewed project delegation. Similar to OKRs, companies can take the lessons from this book and use them to delegate strategic direction throughout every layer of management.

Crucial Conversations by Grenny, Patterson, McMillan, Switzler, Gregory – Delivering difficult feedback in a way which is effective, is difficult and comes with risk. Oftentimes, half-measures do more harm than good in the long-term. This book introduces implicit patterns in conversations which can derail delivering a message, and provides scripts to practice, so you land those conversations when you have them.

Non-violent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg — When trust is low or broken, every word said is viewed with suspicion. As a participant or facilitator, obeying the simple principles of Non-Violent Communication will lead to de-escalation of conflict, and make successful collaboration more likely. A communication superpower in its own right to practice for everyday use.

Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss — The first book about negotiation you should read, and if it's not your first, everything you know about BATNAs is wrong. The former head negotiator of the FBI brings counterintuitive advice, battle-tested in the highest stakes life and death scenarios across the world. Surprisingly usable across all aspects of life.