The Path to Engineering Leadership is Between The Pages

Pursuing an engineering career path means committing to a lifetime of learning. Nowhere is this more applicable than to engineers who hope to become managers one day. Getting to this professional level takes hard work, dedication, and continuous learning, and it’s certainly a career that is on the rise. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for architectural and engineering managers is expected to grow by 6% between 2023 and 2033, with approximately 15,000 openings to be added each year.1

One of the best ways to stay abreast of the latest and most in-depth engineering management trends is through reading.

Engineering management books have been steadily hitting the market over the years, bringing a wealth of knowledge and practical advice to all members of an engineering team, from managers to tech leaders, from staff engineers to software engineers. These books are intended to help engineering leaders-in-training learn what it takes to become a tech leader and guide readers on how to cultivate their own leadership style.

In this article, we’ll explore why reading these books is crucial for those who are managing teams, review a few recommended titles based on theme, offer tips on how to choose the right book, and answer commonly asked questions about furthering your engineering management education.

The Importance of Continuing Education for Engineering Managers

In most professions, continuing education is essential not only for daily practice but also for career growth. Industries, particularly tech-driven fields like engineering, evolve constantly, demanding new skills, theories, and approaches that engineers must adapt to on the job. This is especially pertinent for engineers who want to pursue the management track. Engineers who dedicate time to studying how to transition from an individual contributor role to a managerial one will set themselves up for a long career in engineering management.

Engineering management educational materials can present a plethora of principles that students need to understand and apply in practice. First, they need to understand what it takes to be a tech leader. From these basic guidelines, they can devise their own strategies to develop leadership skills that match their personality.

Second, they need to be adept at communication. Communicating with engineering team members, supervisors, and everyone in between is crucial to achieving project goals and staying updated on progress. Engineering managers need to know how to relay difficult information to their teams and deliver appropriate feedback, whether positive or negative.

Finally, engineering managers must learn effective project management skills. Managing projects is more than just using calendars to track tasks and assigning roles. It also requires a comprehensive vision of each project and demands that the project leader keep the team on pace.

With enough practice of the skills above, engineers can transition into management roles with ease.

YouTube: How to Take Great Engineers & Make Them Great Technical Leaders

Engineering Management Books Recommendation by Theme

Now that we’ve covered the essential skills engineers need to move into management, the following resources can serve as educational material to help learners build these skills. Broken down by theme, here are a few recommended books full of practical advice to help you brush up on your engineering management knowledge.

Foundational Engineering Management & Leadership
High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove
Managing Humans: More Biting and Humorous Tales of a Software Engineering Manager by Michael Lopp
The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
New Engineering Managers
The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier
Resiient Management by Lara Hogan
Technical Leadership & Career Growth
Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track by Will Larson
Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager: How to Be the Leader Your Development Team Needs by James Stanier
Communication, Teamwork, & Self-Development
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, and Emily Gregory
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
Miscellaneous
Brave Work: A Guide to the Hero’s Journey at Work by Michelle Tocher
The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

How to Choose the Right Engineering Management Book

Most aspiring engineering managers don’t have time to read every book on the list above, so how can you choose the right engineering management book(s) for your desired career path? As you start to pick and choose which books to read, you may want to evaluate the following:

Career Stage. Whether you’re starting out and need foundational resources or you’re an experienced engineering leader looking to explore topics like project management, your career stage will shape your focus.
Domain Specialization. The broad scope of engineering leaves a lot of room for narrowing your focus. From software engineering to construction to industrial projects, search for material that is relevant to your engineering specialization.
Ideal Career Path. Not all engineers aspire to become managers, while others may hope to become Chief Technical Officers with a skill for managing managers. Whatever your career path looks like, there’s a book to help you upskill as you progress in your journey.
Learning Priorities. If one topic interests you more than another, lean into this curiosity and select a book you’ll find both professionally and personally enriching.
Time Commitment. Committing to your career growth outside of working hours can seem like a chore, but it can pay handsomely in the future. Be realistic about how much time you want to spend on development when you’re not on the clock.

With the above information, you’ll be able to whittle down your “to-read” list into something much more manageable.

Engineering Management Books: Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re still unsure which books you should read on your path toward an engineering management career, see below for answers to frequently asked questions.

Continuing Education for a Fruitful Future

The best thing an aspiring engineering manager can do for their career is to remain curious about their industry. Staying educated, active, and interested in the field can translate into getting ahead when it comes to career advancement. The more you know about your field, the more you’ll stand out as a promising managerial candidate.

This engineering management reading list is intended to help you kick off your exploration into engineering and decide which discipline is right for you. If you’re set on pursuing engineering management, these books will equip you with the skills and tools you’ll need to be successful.

To learn how to get started on a career in engineering management, check out our guide on how to become an engineering manager.

Sources:

1https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/architectural-and-engineering-managers.htm

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