Resources

THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO BECOME A LEADER

Welcome the tacticalprojectmanager.com resources section. This is a curated list of the books, courses and videos I highly recommend for becoming a good project manager and a successful leader. I have personally tested all resources you find here. I’ve also included material that has been recommended by people in my network. If you know a book that should be included here send me a note.

Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I get a commission when you make a purchase. There’s no downside for you, as you pay the standard price. I just get a chuck of the sale which I’ll invest in the blog to create the best content for you.

MY BOOK TIPS

This may be surprising to you: Many of the books here aren’t about project management. Why did I still list them? The PM skills area easy to learn. But to become a true leader you first have to work on your mindset and soft skills. These books help you to get there.

Steven Covey: The 7 habits of highly effective people

This book has changed my life. And it will change yours too. You will begin to think differently about your life goals, challenges, personal relationships and other areas. And you will become much more relaxed while taking huge steps forward. One concept that stood out for me was to begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself what do I want to achieve? and visualize the outcome. The interesting thing: once you become very clear about what you want to get out of life, you will see more opportunities. And you’ll actually accomplish things you never thought were possible. Grab the book here.

Dale Carnegie: How to win friends and influence people

You know what I enjoyed most about being a PM? It was the feedback I got from people who worked for me. At the end of a project somebody would come to me and say “Adrian, it was so great working with you! I want to be on your next project.” Today this sounds funny to me, because I wasn’t a people person when I was younger. But I put a lot of effort into developing my social skills. And being able to develop meaningful relationships and friendships with people was one important step.

Finish this book in one week. Then start implementing Carnegie’s tips, such as showing gratitude and saying “thank you” more often or calling people by their first name. The impact on your life will be massive. That’s because your success in life depends on your ability to build rapport with people and maintain strong relationships. You’ll be much more successful meeting influential people, getting your dream job or finding the love of your life. Get the book now on Amazon.

Robert Cialdini: Influence – The Psychology of Persuasion

You can ask any CEO. There’s a 90% chance he’s read the book. Why? It’s the “bible” for learning how to influence people and changing behavior. And this is essentially what leadership is about. But reading the book will also benefit you in another way: You start to see how we are being influenced (manipulated) through advertisements and the media. Still, the main reason I recommend the book is: Knowing how to ethically influence people to do what you want them to do is one of the most powerful skills on the planet.

Fascinating book! It will change how you see the world. Get the book here.