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What are the best books on technical leadership in software projects?

11

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66

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Sep 28, 2017

Last
Updated

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11 Options Considered

Best books on technical leadership in software projects	Price	Last Updated
67 The Mythical Man Month	-	Sep 28, 2017
66 Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams	-	Jul 22, 2017
-- Rapid Development	-	Oct 11, 2015
-- The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change	16.19	Aug 16, 2017
-- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker	-	Aug 23, 2016

The Mythical Man Month

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Top Pro

Teaches you something counter-intuitive

(That you can't just add people to move faster.) See More

Top Con

Dated explanations

The underlying principles of the book are still, in most cases, relevant today. However many of the examples are dated (such as references to older methodologies). See More

Tom Raleigh's Experience

The author make a point of needlessly inserting his religion and sexism into what's ostensibly a non-fiction/project management book for a technical audience (most notably, "A team of two, with one leader, is often the best use of minds. [Note God's plan for marriage.]"). It's unprofessional, and really off-putting. Beyond that, the main takeaways are, at this point, general knowledge, and better stated in other books and articles. See More

Top Pro

Timeless classic

This book was originally published in the 70's, and it's most recent edition published in the 90's. Despite it's age, much of the topics remain relevant today. The principles remain timeless, though the explanations can be dated. See More

Top Pro

Easily available

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

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Eloquently explains the sociological aspects of leadership

This book does not just discuss the technical aspects of leadership, but delves into human nature and communication. See More

Top Con

Quite repetitive

Much of the book is dedicated to getting the main point across (don't micromanage, let people do their job). This can make it feel repetitive and dull at times. See More

Top Pro

Very to the point writing style

The author has a clear and no-nonsense approach to teaching the different techniques discussed through the book. See More

Top Pro

Covers everything from physical working arrangements to motivation techniques

Rapid Development

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Covers improving development schedules in detail

The author discusses how haste and unrealistic schedules will negatively impact a project. Causing the deadline to extend well past what it could have, had a realistic time frame been put in place initially. See More

Top Con

Outdated methodologies

This book was published in 1996 and discusses methodologies that were popular at the time (such as the waterfall model). See More

Top Pro

Lists out "Best Practices" to summarize the lessons

This is a large book at 680 pages, so having the lessons summed up is quite beneficial. 27 "Best Practices" are discussed, including the pros and cons of them. See More

Top Pro

Focused on implementable lessons

Rather than discuss only the theory behind leadership, and author focuses on providing real examples and lessons that can be applied. See More

The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change

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Written in 2017

The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker

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Catches most mistakes a new executive would make

Top Con

It's not specific to "technical leadership in software projects"

I.e. it does not answer the question specifically. See More

Top Pro

Examples span most of the last century, across cultures

These examples are old enough for us to see whether a decision regarded as brilliant is still brilliant or has it started to strangle the company (Drucker himself points out some cases, like GM's reorganization being brilliant for its time, but something which needs to change for it to move ahead). See More

Top Pro

By the master of management, Peter F Drucker.

The author, Peter Drucker is sometimes referred to as "the founder of modern management". He has 39 published books and was well known for his consulting work with management, working with large companies (such as IBM and General Motors). See More

Top Pro

Entertaining writer

Top Pro

Very thin

It's just 174 pages. See More

Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction

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Comprehensive practice guide to developing software

The Senior Software Engineer - By David Bryant Copeland

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Top Con

The point is sometimes drawn out and still unclear

Lessons are not always worded in a clear, concise way. The repetition in some points the author is making can make the book feel a bit dull. See More

Top Pro

Realistic advice on how to focus on delivering results

The author emphasis the importance of delivering results, with lessons focused on responsibility and communication. See More

Top Pro

Full of tips and tricks

There are plenty of tips and tricks throughout the book to help you improve your own work and your communication. See More

The Practice of Programming

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insight into the process of mindful software development

Manage It! by Johanna Rothman

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