26 essential book recommendations by and for IT leaders

Next time you settle into your airline seat, it might be worth setting aside the reports and spreadsheets and instead turn this time into an opportunity for big-picture thinking. Load a smart read onto your phone or e-reader or crack the spine of a new book and delve into some thought leadership on everything from leading an amazing team to building a productive company culture to reaching for a better mindset for guiding your organization forward.

I asked CIOs and other high-level IT leaders what they have read that they think other leaders would benefit from. They shared their book recommendations, for light or deep reading on everything from spirituality to AI, for juicing your brain into action and reflection.

So, if you’re looking to be a better leader, here are just over two dozen books worth adding to your to-be-read pile, recommended by your peers.

On leadership

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

By Deepak Chopra

In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra distills his teachings into seven principles that can easily be applied to your daily life. Raffy Martin, EVP and general manager of cybersecurity at ConnectWise, who recommends the title to IT leaders, says it was one of the first spiritual books he has read. The book focuses on discovering your true nature and living in harmony with natural laws to create fulfilling relationships and enthusiasm for life, Martin says.

“Create an environment where people are fulfilled, where they enjoy the relationships they have with each other, and where empathy and gratitude are practiced,” he says, noting a key takeaway he received from the book. “Find fulfillment in what you do. Work from a place of excitement, intention, and ‘pure potentiality,’ as Chopra calls it.”

Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building

By Claire Hughes Johnson

For those looking for in-the-trenches advice on effectively managing resources for growth, John Cannava, CIO of Ping Identity, recommends Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building by Claire Hughes Johnson, who has worked as a leader at Google and Stripe. Consider Johnson’s book a handbook on scaling your organization through its most vital resource: its people. Scaling People includes wisdom on leading as well as worksheets, templates, and exercises to help you get it done.

“As a business scales, it’s important to scale your team along the way,” says Cannava. “This book offers valuable techniques and frameworks. I particularly enjoyed her approach to ‘saying the thing you think you cannot say’ and the ‘player vs. victim’ dynamic.”

Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win 

By Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Nageswaran Vaidyanathan, CTO of Duck Creek Technologies, believes any IT leader will benefit from reading Jocko Willink and Leif Babin’s Extreme Ownership: How US Navy SEALs Lead and Win, a book about leadership from the ranks of the US Navy’s elite special operations force, known as the SEALs, for sea, air, land.

In the book, Willink and Babin write of being sent to Ramadi, Iraq — a violent war zone at the time — to secure the city. There they discovered that leadership is the element most essential to team success — even in the worst situations. They returned home to found the SEAL leadership training team.

“It talks about the competencies and leadership traits necessary to take ownership of a team and allow each member to do the same — and be able to make crucial decisions under pressure,” says Vaidyanathan. “I find it to be a great source for how to cultivate the right team competencies and individual leadership traits for dealing with stressful situations.”

Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable … About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business

By Patrick Lencioni

Shannon Thomas, CIO at Hennepin Technical College in Minnesota, acknowledges that meetings have become a necessary evil. “Often leaders end their days exhausted by meetings only to finish work after-hours,” she says. Is there a better way? In Death by Meeting, a fast-paced work of fiction, and a parable about leadership, author Patrick Lencioni finds strategies for making meetings better, faster, and more effective and turns them into an easy read and a blueprint for you to use.

“Lencioni addresses meetings in a fun way and encourages you to rethink how they are structured to improve effectiveness and morale around this business necessity,” says Thomas.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

By Adam Grant

As a leader, you are often looked upon as the final decision maker. If your beliefs become entrenched, you might listen only to people who agree with you, which means you will miss opportunities and reject good ideas. To fight against this, Rachel Hayden, CIO at ScanSource, recommends picking up Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know because it will help you embrace the ability to rethink and relearn.

In it, Adam Grant “emphasizes the value in maintaining an open mind and encourages readers to build a ‘challenge’ network in addition to a ‘support’ network,” Hayden says. “The technology industry constantly evolves, the world has new problems to solve, and our answers and solutions as technology leaders should evolve, too.”

Thinking Fast and Slow

By Daniel Kahneman

ReadingThinking Fast and Slowbyfamous psychologist and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahnemanhelped Kirsty Roth, chief operations and technology officer at Thomson Reuters, understand her own thinking style and use that knowledge to better handle the people she works with. Kahneman describes two elemental thinking styles and shows you when you can and when you can’t trust your intuition when dealing with people — based on your style and theirs.

“This book isn’t just for CxO’s,” she says. “It’s about the human cognitive condition. It helps me see myself for who I am, with all the experience, bias, and tendency I come with, and helps me see others for who they are, with all their own.”

Herding Cats: A Primer for Programmers Who Lead Programmers

By Hank Rainwater

If you are looking for advice on fine-tuning your approach to leading programmers, Matt Aird, CTO of Custom Neon and co-owner of Infoactive Media, recommends Herding Cats: A Primer for Programmers Who Lead Programmers. In it, author Hank Rainwater, “Dives into the unique challenges of leading a group of highly intelligent, creative, and often independent-minded individuals, and offers practical advice that is both relatable and actionable,” says Aird.

Rainwater breaks down the personality traits you will encounter, how to match people to the right projects, hiring, managing meetings, and more. “The book offers concrete strategies for fostering collaboration, maintaining productivity, and balancing the fine line between leadership and micromanagement,” says Aird.

Strengths Based Leadership: Great Leaders, Teams, and Why People Follow

By Gallup

More than 3 million people have taken Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessment — a wealth of data and insights into human potential. To tap into that wisdom, Diana Cano, CIO at Cambium Learning Group, highly recommends Strengths Based Leadership. In this deep-dive, two renowned leadership experts — Tom Rath and Barry Conchie — delve into Gallup’s surveys as well as decades of research on the results and on leadership to identify the keys to being a better leader.  

“I’ve spent the last 16 years dog-earing the book to help me build well-balanced teams and develop individuals through self-awareness,” says Cano. “It’s helped me see the diversity we have in how we work with each other.”

Inspiring Leadership: Learning From Great Leaders

By John Adair

Bill Bragg, CIO at SymphonyAI, recommends Inspiring Leadership by John Adair, which breaks down the lessons learned by great leaders from history — Alexander the Great, Attila, Churchill, de Gaulle, Einstein, Gandhi, Sir Edmund Hillary, Ho Chih Min, Hsun-Tzu, Kennedy, Lao Tzu, and many more — so that today’s leaders can learn from them.

“It showed me the human physics we need to account for, and to value, when we decide how to focus our time,” says Bragg.

On competitors, customers, and business growth

The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail

By Clayton M. Christensen

Sometimes the most outstanding companies fail — even when they did everything right. But why? John Lyotier, CEO and co-founder of TravelAI, recommends pondering this question by reading The Innovator’s Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail by Clayton M. Christensen. The book explains why companies miss out on waves of innovation because managers don’t know when to abandon practices that are holding them back.

“This classic is profoundly relevant in the context of today’s AI revolution,” says Lyotier. “It offers critical insights into how businesses can navigate AI’s disruptive impact. Christensen explains how established companies can be overtaken by upstarts introducing simpler, more convenient, and often more personalized solutions that better meet the evolving needs of their customers. Timeless lessons indeed.”

Sooner Safer Happier: Antipatterns and Patterns for Business Agility

By Jonathan Smart, Zsolt Berend, Myles Ogilvie, and Simon Rohrer

Rajesh Jethwa, CTO at Digiterre, recommends Sooner Safer Happier: Antipatterns and Patterns for Business Agility for leaders, who, in any part of the business, are looking to tap into agile and Lean methodologies to empower teams to be productive and grow together.

“It provides a comprehensive guide to achieving business agility, focusing on real-world examples and practical advice. Technology leaders will benefit from understanding how to deliver better business outcomes and support their teams in becoming more resilient and adaptable,” Jethwa says.

The Four Factors of Trust: How Organizations Can Earn Lifelong Loyalty 

By Ashley Reichheld and Amelia Dunlop

Rick Johnson, chief digital officer of Marvin, recommends Ashley Reichheld and Amelia Dunlop’s The Four Factors of Trust, a book that teaches you to measure, predict, and build trust — all key in developing meaningful relationships with customers.

“We need to really understand the drivers that influence customer and employee trust, as this is increasingly a litmus test,” says Johnson. “Those are the drivers we need to focus on and accentuate in our customer experiences as well as employee experiences — experiences that are shaped and delivered by technology. Technology leaders must be trusted by the enterprise. There must be trust that we are making the right technology decisions, designing and introducing technology that will work and deliver value, and trust in doing what we say we will do. It is imperative for technology leaders to be authentic, honest, candid, and transparent — in the pursuit of being trusted.”

Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity

By Frank Slootman

Barr Moses, CEO and co-founder at Monte Carlo, recommends Amp It Up by Frank Slootman.  

“Frank Slootman, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Snowflake, shares his playbook for building a successful company,” says Moses, “having led Snowflake to the biggest software IPO ever. In his first book, he pulls no punches about the importance of speed and focus when leading a hypergrowth organization, as well as setting a high bar for the rest of your team. As co-founder and CEO of my own category-creating company in the data space, I found Slootman’s tactical advice and insightful perspective on what it takes to reach unprecedented scale to be a goldmine. 10/10; would — and often do — read again.”

On technology and innovation

Co-Intelligence

By Ethan Mollick

Looking for a quick read to help you explain AI to the people in your life who don’t live and breathe it? Gaurav Banga, CEO and founder of Balbix, recommends Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. In the book, Mollick encourages readers to engage with AI as a coworker and offers real examples of AI in action.

“Mollick has wonderful insights on AI as a collaborator, partner, and agent,” says Banga. “He shares highly tangible examples he uses with his students at Wharton. I highly recommend sharing with a parent who might be trying to understand how gen AI will fit in, or with a child who might want to think about the best ways to apply it to their education.”

The Coming Wave

By Mustafa Suleyman

Several people recommendedThe Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman. “There are many books on the topic of AI, but there are three main things that I like about this book,” says Ken Englund, media and telecommunications leader at EY Americas Technology.

“First, Mustafa Suleyman founded Deep Mind and later sold it to Google. He and his co-founders were literally at the early commercial explosion of neural networks, which is the foundational architecture behind today’s generative AI wave,” Englund explains. “Secondly, while I consider him balanced and optimistic on humanity, he does place an extremely critical eye on Big Tech.”

Move Fast and Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems

By Frances Frei

When Facebook made “move fast and break things” an informal motto, the idea took off. And things got broken. If you prefer to build a great company, help people, and solve hard problems, Beth Scagnoli, vice president of product management at Redpoint Global, recommends reading Move Fast and Fix Things by Frances Frei.

“The premise is to be able to solve hard — and important — problems quickly while emphasizing companywide trust and empathy,” Scagnoli says. “In the tech space, especially where stakes are high for getting ahead of the pack, the book’s focus on radical candor and prioritization, as well as inclusivity across an organization resonated with me, especially in terms of using storytelling to communicate the ‘why’ when working across silos in a company.”

Age of Invisible Machines: A Practical Guide to Creating a Hyperautomated Ecosystem of Intelligent Digital Workers 

By Robb Wilson

Sherry Comes, former CTO at IBM Watson and current managing director of conversational AI at PwC, thinks you need to read Age of Invisible Machines by Robb Wilson. This thorough roadmap for negotiating the future of digital automation is written by the founder and chief technologist at OneReach.ai and the owner of UX Magazine.  

“This is the technology book every business and technology leader needs to read,” says Comes. “With each chapter, I found myself agreeing more and more. This made my ‘must-read’ list for anyone who cares about technology.”

The Industries of the Future 

By Alec Ross

Duck Creek’s Vaidyanathan also recommends Alec Ross’ The Industries of the Future. Ross was Senior Advisor for Innovation to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and traveled the world, visiting startup hubs and R&D labs, to uncover the latest advances that are emerging from every corner of the globe. In the book, he examines robotics, AI, cybercrime, genomics, big data, and more.

“It covers the different aspects of what will drive global transformation and how these will cause progress or failure,” says Vaidyanathan. “Ross also looks at how the global economic future will be shaped and the trends that will drive the way we live.”

For building culture and motivation

What You Do Is Who You Are: How to Create Your Business Culture

By Ben Horowitz

Andrey Ivashin, CIO at Dyninno, recommends What You Do Is Who You Are by Ben Horowitz because it “shows the importance of company culture and the role of leadership.” Horowitz is a venture capitalist and management expert who uses history and modern organizational practice to offer advice on culture building.

“It offers helpful suggestions and examples of what does and doesn’t work in terms of creating a strong company culture,” says Ivashin. “I think it’s more significant that the author examines how leaders may foster a healthy work atmosphere and inspire people to perform at their highest level throughout the book.”

Team Topologies: Organizing Business and Technology Teams for Fast Flow 

By Manuel Pais and Matt Skelton

“CTOs and CIOs who work for organizations that are struggling to deliver value sustainably will greatly benefit from reading Team Topologies,” says Peter Kreslins Jr., CTO and co-founder of Digibee. This step-by-step guide to designing a high-functioning organization helps you understand four team types and interaction patterns and helps you to type and build it.

“It gives the fundamental patterns for achieving fast flow,” he says. “By defining team types, their fundamental interactions, and the science behind them, you learn how to better model your organizations according to these definitions. This book is mind-bending because it translates the complex theories behind the socio-technical aspects of software development and delivery into a set of easy-to-understand patterns. It also gives a set of streamlined steps to get started.”

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us 

By Daniel H. Pink

Ivashin also thinks IT leaders will enjoy Daniel H. Pink’s Drive. Pink is a New York Times bestselling author of seven books about work, creativity, and behavior and his books have sold millions of copies around the world.

“This book explores what truly motivates people, based on scientific research from psychology, economics, and neuroscience,” says Ivashin. “Pink points out that conventional motivational techniques, such as rewards and punishments, are less successful than we assume and might even be counterproductive. It shows that the three key motivation factors are autonomy, mastery, and purpose.”

Do/Disrupt: Change the Status Quo. Or Become It 

By Mark Shayler

SymphonyAI’s Bragg also recommends Mark Shayler’s Do/Disrupt: Change the Status Quo. Or Become It. This advice book offers tips — as well as quotes from some of history’s most famous innovators — on how to be strategic and bold as you take your own path toward transforming your ideas into reality.

“It is a fun and straight to the point guide or sketchbook,” he says. “It’s suitable for all seeking a brave new way.”

For better process

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement 

By Eliyahu M. Goldratt

Dyninno’s Ivashin also recommends Eliyahu M. Goldratt’s The Goal, a treatise on modern economic theory, packaged as a novel.

“It is a well-known book and a classic of business literature,” says Ivashin. “And because it is written like a novel, it is accessible and engaging. It offers helpful techniques and solutions for resolving typical corporate issues like bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and poor communication. The lessons you learn from the characters in the book can be applied to any business and it highlights the necessity for businesses to continuously enhance their processes to remain successful and competitive.”

Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations 

By Dr. Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble

Rajesh Jethwa, CTO of Digiterre, suggests Accelerate by Dr. Nicole Forsgren, PhD, Gene Kim, and Jez Humble, a book that examines, through extensive research, ways that technology can drive business value.

“Backed by considerable research,” says Jethwa, “the book provides data-driven insights and practical guidance on how to improve technology delivery capabilities and foster a culture of continuous improvement to build high-performing teams.”

Bonus: Novels that entertain and teach

In another nod to Gene Kim, Digibee’s Kreslins Jr. also recommends two books by the founder and former CTO of Tripwire.

The Unicorn Project: A Novel About Developers, Digital Disruption, and Thriving in the Age of Data tells the story of Maxine, a senior lead developer, as she tries to survive in a heartless bureaucracy overrun with paperwork and committees.

In The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win(IT Revolution Press, 2013), Bill — an IT manager — takes over a critical project that’s over budget and behind schedule. The CEO demands that Bill deliver the project in 90 days.

“Both books talk about modern ways of delivering software,” says Kreslins Jr. “They touch the core of the issues that prevent organizations from delivering value without obstacles — generating a sense of purpose, meaning, and pride for everyone working on it. The great thing about both of these books is that they are novels that tell the story from the point of view of people struggling with their day-to-day jobs, as they are hindered by bureaucracy, unnecessary processes, and overall team dysfunction. The Phoenix Project, in particular, shed light on the DevOps movement that later became widely adopted in organizations.”