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We’ve covered a lot of books with general advice for businesswomen, but let’s face it — a lot of those books have younger women right out of grad school as their target (and were written quite a while ago, like former reader favorites Lean In and Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office). It can be hard to find some good reading to help you level up in your career if you’re already doing well… so I’m always interested to hear what the readers recommend! These are some of the books people have mentioned as being particularly great for women managers, directors, and other women looking to move to more senior roles.
Readers, what leadership books would you recommend for women managers and directors?
The Best Books for Women Managers
How Women Rise
How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job, by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith, came up in a conversation with a reader who kept getting rejected from jobs she was qualified for. She wasn’t getting good feedback, and worried she had a general “gets stuff done” vibe that was more employee than manager. Specifically, she said,
the last role I was rejected from was for a department I worked in previously, and have a good relationship with one of the decisionmakers. I asked for feedback and got something like “keep trying, this was just not the one for you”. This is generally what I get when I ask for feedback.
A commenter recommended this book, noting that it was particularly helpful when she was at a similar point in her career: “More general feedback than what to do in specific interviews, but when I was at this point in my career (“maybe not enough “executive” and more “gets stuff done”) I found the book “How Women Rise” to be invaluable.” Another reader called the book a “gamechanger” for her.
In another discussion, a commenter suggested a product manager should “run, don’t walk” to read this book, noting this one was much more women-centric than other books by the same authors.
The book was written by leadership coaches; Amazon describes how the book came from their experience:
Again and again, they see that women face specific and different roadblocks from men as they advance in the workplace. In fact, the very habits that helped women early in their careers can hinder them as they move up. Simply put, what got you here won’t get you there . . . and you might not even realize your blind spots until it’s too late.
Are you great with the details? To rise, you need to do less and delegate more.
Are you a team player? To advance, you need to take credit as easily as you share it.
Are you a star networker? Leaders know a network is no good unless you know how to use it.
This book was written in 2018; Marshall Goldsmith also authored another book readers have recommended: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. (The first edition from 2011 of What Got You Here is available on Kindle Unlimited and on Audible!)
The Secret Handshake
The Secret Handshake: Mastering the Politics of the Business Inner Circle, by Kathleen Kelley Reardon, Ph.D. has been mentioned a few times by readers, also, specifically in response to questions about office politics and leadership like this one from a commenter:
Does anyone have any resources for office politics, specifically getting promoted? I’m starting a new job soon and at my current gig I was well regarded and did good work but wasn’t considered for supervisor and management positions. I find i have little instinct for which projects will be considered important, for example. Or I’ll lean into the wrong metric and have little to show for it.
From the Amazon description, the book is based on “hundreds of candid interviews with executives at Fortune 500 companies who have achieved their goals and joined the inner circle,” and seeks to “lay bare the unstated conventions that govern and shape corporate hierarchies.” (We got into this a bit when we discussed invisible furniture, too!)
(Another book recommended in that thread: Seeing the Big Picture, by Kevin Cope.)
Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader
Herminia Ibarra’s books have been hits for a while here — Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader has been recommended a few times in conjunction with The Secret Handshake.
From the Amazon description, the book promises to help you
• Redefine your job in order to make more strategic contributions
• Diversify your network so that you connect to, and learn from, a bigger range of stakeholders
• Become more playful with your self-concept, allowing your familiar—and possibly outdated—leadership style to evolveIbarra turns the usual “think first and then act” philosophy on its head by arguing that doing these three things will help you learn through action and will increase what she calls your outsight—the valuable external perspective you gain from direct experiences and experimentation. As opposed to insight, outsight will then help change the way you think as a leader: about what kind of work is important; how you should invest your time; why and which relationships matter in informing and supporting your leadership; and, ultimately, who you want to become.
(Readers also frequently recommend Ibarra’s earlier book, Working Identity — and that one has a 2023 edition out now!)
Radical Candor
Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity, by Kim Scott, has come up a few times, especially in response to questions like this one:
Favorite books about how to pull yourself out of the weeds and manage/lead managers? I’ve done it before, but I really struggled with delegating and letting go and could use some inspiration as well as practical advice.
In response, readers suggested this book — which is currently the #1 bestseller in “Workplace Behavior” on Amazon, and is available on Kindle Unlimited. Amazon describes the book as being
about caring personally and challenging directly, about soliciting criticism to improve your leadership and also providing guidance that helps others grow. It focuses on praise but doesn’t shy away from criticism—to help you love your work and the people you work with.
The First 90 Days
The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter, by Michael D. Watkins, is another frequently mentioned book — one reader even went so far as to say that she rereads it every time she starts a new job.
Obviously, though, the book focuses on “the importance of successful performance during the first 90 days in a new position.” It’s been updated and expanded; it looks like the most recent edition is from 2013.
Other Great Books for Women Managers Recommended by Corporette Readers
A few others mentioned in similar conversations include these books…
