A curated reading plan to help engineering managers (or aspiring EMs) strengthen their leadership, business acumen, and personal growth over 12 months. This plan spans twelve months, with an estimated ~45 minutes of daily reading or listening. The main content is in the 12-month-engineering-manager-mba.md file.
- Focus Areas: Leadership, team-building, productivity, product/business knowledge, handling complex projects, building culture, understanding senior leadership, and overall personal development.
- Time Commitment: ~45 minutes/day for 12 months.
- Why This Matters: Offers a structured, cost-effective alternative to a traditional MBA, tailored for engineering managers and technical leaders.
- Clone or Download this repository, or simply open
12-month-engineering-manager-mba.mdin your browser. - Follow the Monthly Plan: Each month has 2–3 recommended books with summaries, objectives, and (where possible) links to audiobooks.
- Take Action: After finishing each book, apply at least one concept to your work or personal life to maximize practical learning.
- Enhance & Customize: Review the “Additional Enhancements” section for ideas like mini-projects, peer learning groups, or mentorship sessions.
We’ve integrated a ChatGPT-based mentor to provide interactive guidance, practical examples, and motivational tips as you progress through the MBA.
- Click here to access the Bot: Engineering Manager Mentor
Use it to:
- Ask in-depth questions about monthly themes and books.
- Get advice on real-world team challenges and leadership scenarios.
- Discuss your progress, roadblocks, or ideas for applying lessons at work.
Below are some prompt examples you can use when chatting with the Engineering Manager Mentor bot. Feel free to copy and paste these into the chatbot to get tailored advice and insights:
-
General Guidance
- “Hello, Mentor. I’m new to the 12-Month Engineering Manager MBA. Can you give me an overview of how to approach Month 1?”
- “I want to stay motivated throughout the 12 months. Any tips on building a consistent reading habit?”
-
Specific Book / Month Questions
- “I’m reading Atomic Habits this month. How can I apply the habit loop concept in my daily work routine?”
- “I’m on Month 4 about ‘Building a Strong Team.’ How do I apply the core ideas from Radical Candor in my next 1:1?”
-
Real-World Scenarios
- “One of my engineers consistently misses deadlines. How can I use concepts from The First Time Manager to address this?”
- “I’m struggling with remote team bonding. What lessons from Creativity, Inc. might help us improve our team culture?”
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Problem-Solving & Growth
- “I’m dealing with conflict between two senior developers. Can you suggest strategies from Turn the Ship Around! or The Manager’s Path?”
- “We’re scaling quickly. Which month’s resources best address organizational structure for fast-growing teams?”
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Personal Development & Reflection
- “How can I track my own leadership progress while going through the 12-month program?”
- “I want to refine my communication style. Are there any exercises from Dare to Lead or Radical Candor that could help me?”
-
Adapting Insights to Your Context
- “My company doesn’t use OKRs, but I want to implement growth principles from Hacking Growth. Any tips?”
- “I’m balancing both people management and coding tasks. Which months or books might help me handle this dual role more effectively?”
Feel free to experiment with different prompts, add more details about your personal challenges, and ask for real-world examples. The mentor bot will do its best to tailor suggestions to your situation.
- This repository is provided under the CC0 1.0 Universal License, dedicating the content to the public domain.
- Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to the referenced books. This is a curated plan; each book is owned by its respective author/publisher, with no affiliation or endorsement implied.
- Suggestions & Feedback: Feel free to open an issue or pull request if you have ideas for improvements, new resources, or updates.
- Future Editions: Technology and leadership practices evolve quickly. Suggestions for the next iteration (2026, 2027...) are always welcome.
- If you have any questions, open an issue or start a discussion.
- Share your progress on social media or within your organization to inspire others!
Enjoy your journey, and may this plan guide you toward becoming a more effective engineering leader!