5 Books to Read for a Young Agile Leader

Some of you remember two of my book recommendation articles: 5 Books to Read for a Young ScrumMaster and 5 Books to Read for a Young Product Owner. And what about leaders? Any book recommendations for them? Yes! Presenting you 5 Books to Read for a Young Agile Leader!

For whom is this list? Are you a coach or consultant who helps clients through an Agile transformation and tries to lead without formal power? Or are you a manager who wants to learn how to lead the way that people will want to follow you not because you have formal power but rather because they want to follow you? Or maybe you are an executive who wants to find the real role you could play in an Agile transformation? If you answered yes to one of these questions, then this article is for you!

Let's start!

Several studies indicate that management is the biggest obstacle in transitions to agile software development. Managers need to learn what their new role is in software development organizations in the 21st century, and how to get the best out of Agile. This book will tell you about Management 3.0 which is a movement of innovation, leadership, and management. This approach redefines the definition of leadership with management as a group responsibility.

The Poppendiecks organize this book around the crucial concept of frames, the unspoken mental constructs that shape our perspectives and control our behavior which either help us to succeed or fail miserably. Of course, as usual, they put a substantial injection of Lean ideas into the book. So if you want to lead your organization into the Lean future, then this book will give you not only an inspiration but also plenty of practical how-to recipes.

Do you remember Dilbert comics? How often did you smile recognizing yet another office story? The sad truth is that it's a standard how to run organizations nowadays. And most probably your company sadly is also a source for new Dilber comics ideas. Wanna change this? Wanna be proud and stop recognizing your organization in these comics? This book rethinks management from first principles and shows you the path to a radical shift in a way how to manage, or I would rather say how to lead.

Tobias Mayer is a well-known provocateur, revolutionary and radical in the Agile community. And if you want to radically transform the way how you lead and how your organization should look like, then this is the right choice for you! The author talks about such hot topics as organizational anarchy, corporate oppression and the effect of testosterone on business practices. If you want to be really inspired and to be seriously confused regarding the way how organizations work and should work - read it!

And last but not least! If we talk about becoming a true Agile leader, we should think and know not only the way how companies should work tomorrow but even the day after tomorrow. This book is a collection of real cases of organizations that work in an entirely different way then remaining 99%. It's like to watch a crazy dream and then to realize that it's an existing reality. This book tells you stories about companies where there are no managers at all, while there is a strong presence of love, purpose, awareness and even spirituality. Stories you'll never believe could be true while they are.

And that's all for today. Read, be inspired, stop managing, and become a true leader. Remember a true leader is not a person who leads, it's a person whom people follow.

Do more with less and may the force be with you!
#agileism