Project management is a highly sought-after skill needed across all industries. The role of a Project Manager (PM) is currently in high demand, with a job growth rate projected to exceed the average, increasing by 7% by 2033. While project management may come easier to some, for others, it requires years of experience to become a master at project management. In order to prepare for the growing demand, demonstrating strong and effective project management skills can be an asset for your company. Additionally, business owners and managers with project management skills can see an increase of productivity, financial gains, and organizational efficiency.
If you’re a passionate project manager ready to broaden your skills or a business owner looking to stay current with the latest project management techniques – this list is for you! In this article, we’ve provided you with a list of essential project management books that will empower you to excel in your role and grow your business. These books provide valuable insights into various methodologies and approaches every project manager needs to master. Keep reading to discover the best project management books to enhance your expertise!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is project management?
Project management is the process of planning, executing, monitoring, and completing projects within a specific timeframe. Typically, the details of each project are carefully planned and agreed upon by all parties involved to ensure high-quality results while meeting deadlines. To achieve these goals, project managers often rely on SMART goals, which help make tasks more specific, measurable, achievable, and time-bound.
As a business owner, you’re inherently engaging in project management as a fundamental part of your role. You are constantly finding new ways and coming up with new projects to grow your business and increase revenue. Understanding the basic foundation of project management is crucial to revolutionizing your business practices and achieving success with your team.
What are the fundamentals of project management?
The fundamentals of project management are key to your project being a success. Although these principles can look different for everyone, the most common fundamentals include defining a project, risk assessment, communication, and collaborating. Additionally, another way to look at the foundation of project management is through the 5 Cs. The 5 Cs of project management are complexity, criticality, compliance, culture, and compassion. Utilizing the 5 Cs is a way for PMs to devise a strategy and understand how to approach their projects.
What’s the best project management book?
While it’s hard to narrow down project management into a singular book, here’s a list of the top 10 project management books every project manager or business owner should read. Whether you’ve just begun your career as a project manager or you’re a professional looking to expand their knowledge, these books can act as inspiration. Check out our list of the 10 best project management books you should read in 2025.
10 Must-Read Project Management Books
1. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
Written by the Project Management Institute, this book covers the terminology and guidelines for project management. PMBOK is the go-to book for experienced project managers and novice PMs alike. It leans more toward traditional project management, making it an excellent introduction to mastering the discipline and a classic resource for starting or refreshing your skills.
2. Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management
Published in 2005, Scott Berkun outlines strategies on how to define, lead, and manage projects. Throughout a series of essays, Berkun tackles topics including making good decisions, leadership and trust, and what to do when things go wrong. He based this book off of his 9 years of experience as a program manager and talks about completing large software or web development projects. What makes this a top project management book, is that both non-technical and technical readers alike will be able to relate to Berkun’s anecdotes.
3. Strategic Project Management Made Simple: Practical Tools for Leaders and Teams
Written by Terry Schmidt, this practical book focuses taking ideas and turning them into actionable initiatives. Schmidt prompts 4 major questions that act as the foundation of his strategy: 1. What are we trying to accomplish and why?, 2. How will we measure success?, 3. What other conditions must exist?, 4. How do we get there? Throughout his book, Schmidt guides readers through “the Logical Framework” which provides them with an easy to implement project strategy. This book is perfect for busy managers and business owners who want to avoid doing twice the work.
4. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
David Allen’s book transforms the way you approach tasks and increases productivity. Getting Things Done (GTD) is well-written, practical, easy to comprehend. Allen teaches project managers, leaders, and managers how to set priorities using a five-step workflow. He keeps the book updated, periodically releasing new editions that include modern, practical examples to help readers understand how the GTD method can revolutionize their project management style.
5. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Peter F. Drucker outlines effective leadership and how to increase performance in a way for non-project managers and PMs alike to understand. He provides readers with a comprehensive overview of management skills that all leaders should incorporate. Overall, this book is a great resource for practical tips and setting priorities that align with your goals. After reading, you’ll understand exactly why The Effective Executive is considered one of the top rated project management books.
6. Brilliant Project Management: What the Best Project Managers Know, Do, and Say
If you want to be a successful project manager, this book by Stephen Barker and Rob Cole is a fantastic read and comprehensive guide to project management. With their 30+ years of experience, the authors use detailed real-world examples to show readers exactly what to do, offering simple and practical tips. You’ll gain the tools to showcase your soft skills and lead your team in ways you never have before.
7. Interactive Project Management: Pixels, People, and Process
Nancy Lyons and Meghan Wilker’s Interactive Project Management: Pixels, People, and Process is essential reading for any PM looking to enhance their knowledge. Their interactive project management approach transforms how professionals can deliver high-quality work, specifically digital work. They outline practical project management practices to avoid being a lazy project manager with their people-focused approach. Specifically placing importance on emotional intelligence and strong communication in the workplace.
8. Measure What Matters: The Simple Idea That Drives 10x Growth
John Doerr has a proven track record of implementing OKRs in businesses, resulting in them growing beyond expectations. Doerr created a system to help business owners, managers, and project managers strategically enhance their organization practices to become more agile to experience explosive growth. Through a series of case studies, he tackles main project management topics including creating committed and aspirational OKRs and how to create realistic goals for your team.
9. Agile practice guide
This guide is an excellent introduction to agile project management, as it explains the core principles, values, and mindset of the agile approach. This was a joint effort with PMI and Agile Alliance to provide guidance on agile approaches for any professional. Including experienced project managers looking to enhance their agility can apply the guide’s practical tools to their next project. Overall, agile organizations reap significant benefits.
10. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager
Kory Kogon and Suzette Blakemore guide readers step by step on how to manage projects, specifically for employees who find themselves serving as their team’s unofficial project manager. They highlight the importance of having people skills and building your leadership. Some key takeaways include understanding project scope, planning, execution, tracking, and assessment to achieve successful outcomes.
Tools for project managers
Learning from project management books is an important step toward improving your business and skills. These books provide foundational knowledge and proven strategies, but mastering project management often requires more than just theory. However, additional tools and resources are available to further enhance project management. Integrating practical tools and resources into your workflow can significantly enhance your effectiveness. For instance, digital file organizers streamline document management, while password manager software ensures the security and accessibility of sensitive information. These tools simplify daily operations, allowing PMs, business owners, and managers to focus more on strategic decision-making. An additional tool, project management software, is specifically designed to help professionals manage complex projects, offering features like task tracking, resource allocation, and centralize collaboration efforts.
Harnessing the power of project management software can transform your approach to handling projects, driving efficiency and elevating outcomes. These platforms enable teams to work cohesively, meet deadlines, and track progress with precision. They often act as a source of truth for your team where they can reference documents, due dates, tasks, and even communication between team members. Moreover, by automating repetitive tasks it frees up your time to focus on supporting your team, rather than manually inputting data or organizing digital files.
Project management software
Investing in a project management software improves efficiency, collaboration, and overall project outcomes for teams of all sizes. These platforms are designed to provide structure to complex projects involving various steps and professionals. Furthermore, project management software provides valuable insights through analytics including time spent on tasks, budget allocation, and overall project performance. The right combination of skills, knowledge, and tools can make the difference between a good project manager and a great one, ultimately contributing to the success of your business and career. That’s why choosing the best project management software is decision you shouldn’t take lightly.
Factorial’s project management software
Factorial is an ideal solution for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) looking to invest in project management software. Its user-friendly interface ensures a quick and seamless adoption process. Factorial provides the extra support every project manager needs when managing multiple projects and teams. With Factorial, project managers and business owners can easily:
- Manage projects more efficiently
- Enhance the project management experience with greater flexibility during the creation process
- Assign specific employees to designated projects/tasks
- Generate detailed reports, including total project hours and total costs
- See an overview of their progress per project or task
Discover why SMBs love Factorial’s project management software. With just one tool, you can stay organized, collaborate more effectively, and deliver high-quality work on time. While project management books can revolutionize your mindset, Factorial transforms your everyday processes.
