12 Best Books for Software Engineering Managers (2025 Edition)

We’ve spent nearly two decades helping world-class engineering leaders build high-performing, globally distributed development teams. One thing they have in common? They’re constant learners. The best books for software engineering managers offer more than advice — they deliver practical insight for leading with clarity, trust, and resilience.

Whether you’re stepping into the engineering manager role for the first time or sharpening your skills as an experienced manager, these reads can help. From project management to feedback, scaling, and org design, the best software engineering management books support every stage of leadership.

This list of books includes practical advice drawn from real-world experience at technology companies. They’re trusted by engineering leaders, recommended by line managers, and proven in diverse engineering organizations from startups to global enterprises.

Foundational Leadership & Management Skills

These are some of the best books on software engineering management, ideal for leaders transitioning from senior IC roles or stepping into people management for the first time.

The Manager’s Path

by Camille Fournier

If you’re only going to read one book as a new engineering manager, this is it. Fournier walks you through each stage of the leadership journey — from mentoring as a senior developer to managing managers and beyond — with practical insights and no-nonsense advice.

Why It’s a Must-Read
The Manager’s Path reframes leadership as a continuous learning process, not a fixed title. It’s especially valuable for new managers making the leap from contributor to coach. With relatable scenarios and tactical guidance, it offers a structured approach to navigating the evolving demands of technical leadership.

It’s consistently recommended as one of the best books for new software engineering managers and a core read for any effective software engineering manager. An excellent book for anyone starting in an engineering manager role.

Managing Humans

by Michael Lopp

This is a candid, story-driven look at the messy, human side of leading technical teams. Lopp draws on real-life experiences to explore navigating personalities, pressure, conflict, and the emotional realities of engineering leadership.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Paul DeMott, CTO at Helium SEO, calls it the most influential book in his leadership journey. “It does not read like a management manual, which is exactly why it works,” he says. “I needed to understand how to talk to people who code all day and don’t want fluff. This book gave me a mental playbook for that.” It’s one of the best books on managing software engineers because it tackles the real challenges of leadership with wit and honesty.

Remote Engineering Management

by Alexandra Sunderland

Managing a remote engineering team involves more than moving meetings to Zoom. From onboarding and feedback to career growth and communication rituals, Sunderland covers the full spectrum of remote leadership for engineers.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Sunderland’s approach is grounded in lived experience, not theory. She offers actionable strategies for building trust, maintaining visibility, and supporting engineers across time zones. Whether you're leading a hybrid team or scaling a remote-first org, this is one of the best software engineering manager books to help you thrive in today’s tech company environment.

Engineering Management for the Rest of Us

by Sarah Drasner

Not every leader fits the mold, and Drasner embraces that. This book is for people who never imagined themselves as managers. It's a practical, emotionally intelligent guide to supporting teams without pretending you have all the answers.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Drasner blends vulnerability with pragmatism, covering everything from setting boundaries and giving feedback to managing up and fostering psychological safety. For first-time managers or leaders who value support over control, this book validates a quieter and more human path to leadership. If you’re looking for the best book on managing software engineers that prioritizes empathy, this one stands out. As the subtitle suggests, it’s management for the rest of us.

Honorable Mentions

• The Making of a Manager, by Julie Zhuo: A relatable guide for first-time managers that focuses on navigating early uncertainty with reflection and clarity.
• The Leader Lab, by Tania Luna & LeeAnn Renninger: Breaks down leadership into repeatable micro-habits. Ideal for managers building practical, day-to-day skills.

Communication, Feedback & Psychological Safety

These books offer frameworks for honest communication, actionable feedback, and team trust — foundational elements in any software engineering management role.

Radical Candor

by Kim Scott

This landmark book redefines how to give feedback that challenges directly while caring personally. It's more than a communication manual; it's a guide to psychologically safe, high-accountability teams.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Radical Candor is essential reading for leaders who support distributed teams. Alex Smith, co-founder of Render3DQuick.com, praises its insights into “honest communication,” which are critical when “working with engineers and designers who are detail-oriented by nature and require clear and constructive criticism.” He adds that “the direct talk on caring personally and challenging directly has assisted my style of having difficult conversations without losing rapport.” This excellent book deserves a permanent spot on your bookshelf.

The Intelligence Trap

by David Robson

Being smart doesn’t always lead to good decisions. The Intelligence Trap explores why highly intelligent people can still fall into flawed thinking and how to build cognitive habits that avoid bias, overconfidence, and groupthink.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Chris Lavender, an engineering leader and advisor, describes it as a “hidden gem” that helped him lead deeply skilled teams. “I took away many insights that have helped me lead geographically and culturally distributed teams composed of extremely smart folks,” he says. It’s one of the best books on managing software engineers when it comes to decision-making and cognitive bias.

The Culture Map

by Erin Meyer

Erin Meyer breaks down the hidden ways culture shapes global teamwork, from how we communicate to how we give feedback or make decisions. For example, Americans tend to soften criticism, while the Dutch get straight to the point — a mix that can cause tension if you’re not ready for it.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Miros Milenkovic, project manager at Privado ID, says, “There were years when I was just carrying it with me in my bag and just take it out and say, ‘Everyone needs to read this.’” He adds, “People are not thinking enough about how much these differences actually influence your day-to-day work.”

Honorable Mentions

• Peopleware, by Tom DeMarco & Timothy Lister: A timeless reminder that culture, focus, and trust — not tools — are what make engineering teams productive.
• Influencing Virtual Teams, by Hassan Osman: Short, tactical, and remote-first, with clear strategies to boost engagement and accountability in distributed teams.

Change Management

Sustained motivation and meaningful growth don’t happen by accident. These software engineering management books offer a fresh lens on what really drives performance — and how to spark long-term engagement on your team.

Drive

by Daniel H. Pink

Pink draws on behavioral science to challenge outdated assumptions about performance. In place of rewards and pressure, he puts forward a more sustainable foundation for motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Why It’s a Must-Read
For engineering managers seeking to empower their teams without micromanaging, this is one of the best books for software engineering managers you can read. Maher Hanafi, senior vice president of engineering at Betterworks, a performance management software company, calls Drive a “game-changer,” with the book “transforming my understanding of motivation and how to build truly productive, autonomous teams.” If your development teams need more autonomy and less burnout, Drive is a must-have.

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

Whether you're trying to improve your own focus or shift team behaviors, this book delivers a framework for lasting change. Clear breaks down how habits work (and how to build better ones) using a simple, science-backed framework that’s easy to apply.

Why It’s a Must-Read
“One of my favorite books,” says Nir Orman, director of e-commerce engineering at Wix. “Whatever skill that you're looking to install, I would call this a new operating system for yourself. You're installing a new version of yourself that has this new skill.”

Honorable Mentions

• The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield: A call to overcome resistance and stay creative for leaders driving innovation under pressure.

Structuring & Scaling Teams

As your team grows, so do the challenges. These titles are some of the best books on managing software engineers structuring orgs, managing dependencies, and making scaling less painful.

Team Topologies

by Matthew Skelton & Manuel Pais

As teams grow, so does the risk of friction, misalignment, and bottlenecks. Team Topologies introduces a framework for organizing engineering teams around flow, interaction modes, and clear ownership.

Why It’s a Must-Read
It’s especially useful for engineering leaders searching for the best books for software engineering managers focused on growth-stage challenges. This book delivers much-needed operational clarity for leaders managing distributed teams or scaling quickly.

DeMott turned to Team Topologies during a major reorganization. “It saved us months of trial and error,” he says. While the book cover might look dense, it’s filled with actionable insights you can apply to your engineering organization right away.

An Elegant Puzzle

by Will Larson

Digg, Uber, and Stripe veteran Larson explores the engineering-specific challenges leaders face. When should your team pay down technical debt? How do you structure teams to sustain long-term growth? How do you tackle migrations without losing momentum?

Why It’s a Must-Read
Larson brings a structured, systems-oriented lens to the human challenges of engineering leadership. Travis Kupsche, director of engineering at Assembly AI says, “It's very much easy to consume as an engineer,” adding that it takes the “amorphous thing of what is management” and “added some structure around it so it wasn't this mushy space that I had to operate in.” Among the best books for software engineering managers, An Elegant Puzzle stands out for its clear systems thinking.

Thinking in Systems

by Donella Meadows

Systems thinking helps leaders move beyond linear cause and effect. Thinking in Systems reveals the patterns and feedback loops that shape how teams behave and respond to change. It’s not a management manual, but it’s essential for anyone leading in complexity.

Why It’s a Must-Read
Rod Hess, director of content marketing at Talivity, found the book transformative for understanding how team dynamics change over time. He explains, “It helped me zoom out to recognize the feedback loops and other issues that present themselves in a system as complex as a team, and how quick fixes can often backfire.” This is a powerful supplement to any list of books on engineering leadership and complex systems.

Honorable Mentions

• The Mythical Man-Month, by Frederick P. Brooks: A classic that highlights the hidden pitfalls of scaling software teams too quickly.
• High Growth Handbook, by Elad Gil: The modern manual for startup leaders, ideal for anyone navigating rapid scale.
• The Self-Assembling Brain, by Peter Robin Hiesinger: A deep dive into how intelligence and complexity emerge. Useful for leaders thinking about the future of AI and systems.

Commit to Learning and Growth

Every engineering leader faces complexity. The ones who succeed are the ones who commit to growth — not just in their teams, but in themselves. The best books for new software engineering managers and seasoned leaders alike help build the mindset and resilience needed to lead through uncertainty.

Whether you're focused on team structure, feedback culture, or personal growth, the best software engineering management books and the best book on managing software engineers will support you at every stage. These are the best books for software engineering managers ready to lead, scale, and evolve.