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The Ultimate Techie Fall Reading List

Now that summer has passed, it’s the perfect time to turn our focus toward cozier, slower ways to spend our time and enjoy the cooler temperatures. If you’re like most of us, your “to be read” list is a mile long but adding to it is never out of the question. These are a must for the IT crowd!

The I.T. Leaders’ Handbook: Foundations for Leading the Information Technology Department by John A. Bredesen

This book is the go-to curriculum for current and aspiring IT leaders. The book focuses on four primary pillars: Foundations, Business, People, and Technology. This isn’t just a how-to book; it’s a practical blueprint for running a productive and successful IT department. Get it on Amazon here.

The CIO Playbook: Strategies and Best Practices for IT Leaders to Deliver Value by Nicholas R. Colisto

It’s the role of the CIO to enhance department production and product quality, as well as ensure that output meets or exceeds business goal expectations. That’s a lot of pressure. Colisto brings decades of experience to the table to provide clarity and practical help to CIOs. Get it on Amazon here.

The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win by Gene Kim 

No boring or stuffy curriculum here. This techie must-read is written like a novel that presents a fictional, but all too common, IT problem in a narrative but deeply insightful way. It deftly highlights important themes, including communication, organization, workflows, and other essential functions of an IT team. You’ll enjoy this one! Get it on Amazon here.

Lead It Like Lasso by Marnie Stockman and Nick Coniglio

If you haven’t seen Apple TV’s hit show, Ted Lasso, chances are you’ve heard of the wildly popular series starring Jason Sudeikis. What is so special about Ted is his effective and endearing leadership style, which is inspiring and worthy of emulation. Lead It Like Lasso breaks down the strengths of Ted’s iconic leadership style and serves it up into bite-sized skills any leader in any role can implement. Get it on Amazon here.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick M. Lencioni 

Whether you’re on a team or leading one, this book will help you understand those you work with and how to work together more effectively. This is another book that reads like a novel and is exceptionally engaging from start to finish. Lencioni shares a proven model for identifying the five core dysfunctions and building an effective team. Get it on Amazon here.

Bonus: GoodReads

Set up a GoodReads account to keep track of your reading goals and “to be read” (TBR) list. You can also share your book list with others, participate in discussions, and find meaningful reviews on interesting reads. 

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