Today I was asked by a colleague to recommend some books. He wants to be better at leading software developers. While it is certainly an honor, it’s also a good chance for me to review what books have helped me along the way.
Definitely, I’m not an expert on leadership because I’m not so good at communicating with my bosses at this moment. But I developed my own way of leading in which everyone grows fast, and development activities are performed at a pace. We won a lot together.
So if you are a team leader of software developers and want to build a good culture, I hope the following books can be helpful to you too.
Code Simplicity.
The Science of Software Development
by Max Kanat-Alexander
This is an amazing book on software development science. It can help us understand better software development and make wiser decisions. Leading technology teams is about expertise. A better general wins more battles and brings more soldiers home alive.
Pragmatic Thinking & Learning
Refactor Your Wetware
by Andy Hunt
This famous book reveals how a software developer can grow from novice to expert, step by step. I was introduced to Skill Theory first time by this book. And it specialized focus on the development of software skills. A good leader empowers growth.
Peak
Secrets from the New Science of Expertise
by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool
This is a life-changed book for me. Before it, I thought that genus people are gifted, experts are talented. This is wrong because skills are developed under certain patterns. Gifts and talents are good to start with but not always necessary for success. Leading is a skill so it follows the science of Skill Theory. A lot of researches have been done on Skill Theory. This book is a great way to learn the meta-skill of developing any skill.
Messy
The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives
by Tim Harford
As a leader, a common mistake to make is to hire selves. Diversity is crucial to ecosystems. A good team is an ecosystem where everyone is is connected and inspiriting each other, without a leader noticing.
Thinking in Systems
A Primer
by Donella H. Meadows
I tried to build the team as a system where good behaviors are rewarded. It worked very well and almost everything worked without me.
Switch
How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
by Chip Health & Dan Health
As a leader, you occasionally need to drive other people to do something you want and create rules or boundaries. Changes are sometimes hard to sell. Well, this book can help you encourage your team.
There are lots of other books that can help you become a better software leader. What I read is just a very small subset of it. So don’t stop finding new books to blow your mind. Reading is like listening to someone wise talking to you and you will definitely learn.
Don’t hesitate to recommend what are your favourites in the comment too!
