Besides those, I would skip books on general management techniques and go straight for anything on software engineering or project management. Actually, I quite like your post emcoffey3, however, I would disagree with the above statement. While I do not think that it would be BAD to read up on Software Engineering or project management specific to his field, I believe there is more productive material out there that more pointedly addresses what the original poster is asking for. From what I understand, the original poster is an expert in his field with plenty of experience developing and designing software. Though he did not specifically state it in his post, I would venture a guess that he has at least adequate experience with the software design life cycle, etc. What he is asking for is specific information on leadership and management. Therefore I would recommend he read two books, and I will provide him with three choices.
One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson - This book is a very short read and will give you a good introduction to some specific techniques on interpersonal relationships from a management perspective. It is an excellent beginning to a manager's toolbox.
Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles - Another short read that is about a newly hired manager who is supposed to turn around a failing manufacturing plant. What she does is to learn what the leader of the only productive department of the plant does to be successful. While some specific techniques are given, one gets to delve a little more into the philosophies of successful management in a book that reads more like a story than self-help material.
From Good to Great by Jim Collins - A little longer, this book is powered by exhaustive empirical research characterized by data that often go against what one expects to find. This book is written at a much lower level and in concept driven. Very little is given in terms of practical day-to-day management, this is a fascinating look at what 11 companies have done to make a lasting move from being a decent company to being a great company. The reason that 11 companies are highlighted in this book is not because they were randomly picked from a choice of many, but because at the end of all their research, only 11 companies out of thousands met the criteria of the team's own research of making a lasting move to a great organization.
Any of these books would be very helpful, but a combination of any two will be an eye-opener and real learning experience for any new manager.
Yes, it is important for the successful manager/leader to not do the technical work. When a manager/leader starts to do that, he or she becomes too focused on the "what are we doing" and isn't able to focus on the "what should we be doing". Generally I agree with this, however, it sounds like you are a little of both manager and production. I would offer the following minor adjustment to the statement above: Give your team the OPPORTUNITY to decide on platforms, technologies and techniques. USUALLY they will come up with the answers themselves, but be an active participant in the discussions. If you are also the architect, you may disagree with what the team initially suggests. In that case, having involved them in discussion and seriously considered their ideas, you can introduce your own. If you can keep the discussion open, by the end of making the design decisions, your team will feel that it indeed was their idea, especially if you do not take the direct credit in front of either them, or your superiors. It is just as much an art to involve the team in your ideas in such a way that they are everyone's ideas as it is to let the experts that you have hired come to their own conclusions while you let go of having to be the one in control all the time.
All that said, at some point, you will have to make a decision in direction. Sometimes, based on the size of the company it is a necessity that someone fill a management role as well as a developer or production role. However, invariably, one cannot be as successful, certainly in the management areas when your time is consumed by your own development work. At some point you will need to decide to join "the dark side" permanently or to stay in a development position.
Slashdot Mirror
One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson - This book is a very short read and will give you a good introduction to some specific techniques on interpersonal relationships from a management perspective. It is an excellent beginning to a manager's toolbox.
Gung Ho! by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles - Another short read that is about a newly hired manager who is supposed to turn around a failing manufacturing plant. What she does is to learn what the leader of the only productive department of the plant does to be successful. While some specific techniques are given, one gets to delve a little more into the philosophies of successful management in a book that reads more like a story than self-help material.
From Good to Great by Jim Collins - A little longer, this book is powered by exhaustive empirical research characterized by data that often go against what one expects to find. This book is written at a much lower level and in concept driven. Very little is given in terms of practical day-to-day management, this is a fascinating look at what 11 companies have done to make a lasting move from being a decent company to being a great company. The reason that 11 companies are highlighted in this book is not because they were randomly picked from a choice of many, but because at the end of all their research, only 11 companies out of thousands met the criteria of the team's own research of making a lasting move to a great organization.
Any of these books would be very helpful, but a combination of any two will be an eye-opener and real learning experience for any new manager.
All that said, at some point, you will have to make a decision in direction. Sometimes, based on the size of the company it is a necessity that someone fill a management role as well as a developer or production role. However, invariably, one cannot be as successful, certainly in the management areas when your time is consumed by your own development work. At some point you will need to decide to join "the dark side" permanently or to stay in a development position.