Project Management Life's (PML)
Book Recommendation of the Week
Every GREAT project manager knows that the journey of learning never ends! Each week, we feature a must-read book designed to inspire fresh ideas, sharpen your skills, and fuel your passion for growth.
Week of October 28, 2025
Why is it a game-changer?Â
Grant shows that growth stems from persistence, humility, and support. Project managers will appreciate the lessons on developing their team’s potential. It’s not just about rewarding outcomes, but nurturing growth and adaptability. This book provides powerful insights into coaching, mentoring, and leading people to stretch beyond their current skill sets.
Week of October 14, 2025
Why is it a game-changer?Â
This book is a must-read for project managers who need to communicate clearly, quickly and effectively. In a world overflowing with meetings, reports, and status updates, this book teaches how to share information that cuts through the noise and captures attention. By mastering brevity, project managers can save time, reduce confusion, and ensure their teams stay aligned.Â
Week of October 7, 2025
Why is it a game-changer?Â
This book offers a fascinating, research-based look at why large projects succeed or fail — from megaprojects like airports to films like Frozen. Flyvbjerg provides data-driven lessons on forecasting, planning, and execution that every project manager can use. It’s an essential read for PMs managing complex initiatives, teaching how to build momentum, anticipate pitfalls, and improve predictability in any size project.
Week of September 30, 2025
Influence
The Psychology of Persuasion
Why is it a game-changer?Â
Influence is central to project management, where authority often comes without formal power. This book reveals psychological triggers, like reciprocity, commitment, and social proof, that shapes decision-making. By understanding these principles, project managers can communicate more persuasively, gain stakeholder buy-in, and foster stronger alignment.
Week of September 23, 2025
Getting to Yes
Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
Why is it a game-changer?Â
This book offers a principled approach to resolving conflicts and finding agreements without unnecessary compromise. For project managers, this means navigating disagreements with stakeholders, clients, or team members while preserving relationships. Handle conflicts constructively, and keep projects moving forward.
Week of September 16, 2025
Read People Like a Book
How to Analyze, Understand, and Predict People’s Emotions, Thoughts, Intentions, and Behaviors
Why is it a game-changer?
Every project manager knows that people skills make or break a project. This book is a guide to understanding body language, emotions, and hidden intentions, giving PMs an edge in stakeholder management. It provides actionable tools to help you interpret nonverbal cues, detect unspoken concerns, and adjust communication to fit the situation. This book strengthens your emotional intelligence and prepares you to anticipate issues before they surface.
Week of September 2, 2025
Never Split the Difference
Negotiating as if Your Life Depended On It
Why is it a game-changer?
Negotiation is at the heart of project management, whether you’re handling budgets, timelines, or stakeholder expectations. The powerful techniques in this book can be directly applied to projects of any scale. This shows how to achieve better outcomes without damaging relationships. This book helps PMs become more persuasive and confident in high pressure discussions.Â
Week of August 19, 2025
PMP Exam Prep
Why is it a game-changer?
This book is widely considered a gold standard for PMP candidates. Rita’s book explains concepts in plain language, provides practical examples, and challenges you to think the way PMI wants you to on the exam day. The practice exam prepares you for the real test. This book builds true understanding, confidence, and exam readiness.
Week of August 12, 2025
PMP Exam Prep Simplified
Why is it a game-changer?
This is a clear, structured, and no-nonsense guide for anyone preparing for the PMP exam. Ramdayal simplifies complex concepts, aligns tightly with the PMBOK and Agile principles, and provides practice questions that mirror the real exam. Project managers love it because it removes the overwhelm and builds confidence to pass on the first try.
Week of August 5, 2025
The First Minute
How to Start Conversations That Get Results
Why is it a game-changer?
As project managers, our impact often hinges on how we begin conversations. This book offers a practical, repeatable method to start every discussion with clarity, purpose, and focus. The book’s approach supports stronger collaboration, faster decisions, and fewer misunderstandings. This quick read will improve your communications.
Week of July 29, 2025
Atomic Habits
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
Why is it a game-changer?
This fictional story comes from one of our very own members of the PML Community, and shares project management in a fresh, new way. By capturing the emotional reality of project management work, reinforcing core principles, and building in empathy and self-awareness, this book offers an opportunity to learn about project management through storytelling.
Week of July 22, 2025
Why I Was Chosen For This Project
A Startup Allegory By a Forbes-Featured Founder
Why is it a game-changer?
Project managers thrive on structure and Atomic Habits is all about building small systems that lead to big results. James Clear breaks down the science of habit formation in a practical, engaging way. Whether you’re trying to improve personal productivity, create better team routines, or lead change on a project, this book gives you the tools to make it stick. A must-read for mastering behavior change and improving performance. management through storytelling.
Servant Leadership
Discover the 10 Essential Steps to Unlock Your Team’s Performance and Become an Amazing Servant Leader
Why is it a game-changer?
This accessible guide to servant leadership offers practical tools to lead with empathy, humility, and purpose. As a project managers, you’ll learn how to empower your team, build trust, and foster a collaborative environment where everyone thrives. This book outlines 10 key skills – from active listening to influencing without authority – that elevate your leadership and drive better results.
Week of July 15, 2025
The 6 Types of Working Genius
A better way to understand your gifts, your frustrations, and your team.
Why is it a game-changer?
The six “working geniuses” explain why some phases of a project feel energizing and others feel draining. As a project manager, this tool can help you build balanced teams, assign roles more effectively, and improve collaboration. By identifying each person’s natural strengths, you’ll boost engagement and productivity, and enhance performance across every project phase.Â
Week of July 8, 2025
The 80/20 Principle
The Secret to Achieving More with Less
Why is it a game-changer?
This book flips your perspective on productivity. This central idea that 80% of results come from 20% of efforts – helps project managers focus on what really drives value. By identifying the most impactful tasks, stakeholders, and risks, you can allocate your time and resources more wisely. This book teaches you to work smarter, not harder.
Week of July 1, 2025
Getting Things Done
The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Why is it a game-changer?
A classic for a reason, Getting Things Done (GTD) offers a practical framework for mastering your workload and mental clarity. For project managers juggling priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders, GTD helps create a trusted system to capture ideas, break projects into actionable tasks, and focus on what truly matters. Manage commitments with ease, make confident decisions, and reduce mental clutter – making you more effective.
Week of June 24, 2025
Scrum
The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
Why it’s a game-changer?
This book is a must-read for project managers looking to boost team productivity and deliver faster results. The framework offers practical steps and shows how to streamline workflows, adapt to change quickly, and eliminate inefficiencies – making it ideal managing dynamic, fast-paced projects with greater agility and focus.
Week of June 17, 2025
Project Management Mastery
Why it’s a game-changer?
A solid resource for both new and experienced project managers, this book offers practical insights into
managing scope, time, cost, and teams with confidence. Hayden combines real-world examples with actionable advice, making it a go-to guide for mastering the fundamentals and refining the skills needed to lead successful projects from start to finish.
Week of June 10, 2025
How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge
Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority
Why it’s a game-changer?
This book is a powerful guide for influencing others and driving results when you’re not in a position of authority. This book focuses on leading with character, humility, and emotional intelligence. With the strategies outlined here, project managers can foster collaboration, resolve conflict, and lead effectively, even without being in a position of authority.
Week of June 3, 2025
Emotional Intelligence
Why It Can Matter More Than IQ
Why it’s a game-changer?
This book highlights the power of self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management in leadership. Project success depends on more than technical skills and this book helps project managers build emotional intelligence to lead teams effectively, manage conflict, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.
Week of May 27th, 2025
The Lean Startup
A How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses
Why it’s a game-changer?
Perfect for project managers working on innovation or new initiatives. This book introduces a build-measure-learn cycle that minimizes risk and accelerates results. The author teaches how to validate ideas early, pivot effectively, and create value through continuous improvement – empowering project managers to lead smarter, leaner projects in uncertain or evolving environments.
Week of May 20th, 2025
To-Do List Formula
A Stress-Free Guide to Creating To-Do Lists that Work!
Why it’s a game-changer?
As project managers, we LOVE our to-do lists. This book aligns with how our brain processes tasks and priorities. It offers simple, actionable strategies to reduce overwhelm and increase daily focus, turning a project manager’s day from a state of chaos into a clear plan of attack. To-Do List Formula empowers project managers to boost their efficiency and lead with greater confidence.
Week of May 13th, 2025
How to Retire
20 Lessons for a Happy, Successful, and Wealthy Retirement
Why it’s a game-changer?
This comprehensive guide to navigating retirement blends financial planning insights with practical lifestyle advice, covering everything from building sustainable income streams to aligning your time and values in retirement. Project managers should manage their retirement like a long-standing project and start setting themselves up for success well in advance.
Week of May 6th, 2025
Good to Great
Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t
Why it’s a game-changer?
This book explores why certain companies achieve exceptional, sustained performance while others plateau. Project managers play a huge role in achieving greatness by building high-performing project teams, fostering strategic focus, and leading with humility and determination. Applying these principles can help project managers not only deliver successful projects but contribute to lasting organizational excellence and transformation.Â
Week of April 29, 2025
Unleash Your Meeting Potential
A Comprehensive Guide to Leading Effective Meetings
Why it’s a game-changer?
Project managers spend a significant amount of time planning, leading, and following up on meetings in order to move our projects along successfully. This PMP-written guide provides a full meeting methodology with valuable insights on what to do before, during, and after every project meeting to get the most out your key stakeholders.
Week of April 22, 2025
Crucial Influence
Leadership Skills to Create Lasting Behavior Change
Why it’s a game-changer?
Crucial Influence offers some powerful strategies to inspire lasting behavioral change through influence. The book leverages six sources of influence – personal, social, and structural to address challenges and drive meaningful outcomes. This is an essential change management guide for project managers that aim to motivate their teams and navigate complexity. Use this tool to master influence techniques so you can lead more effectively and create sustainable success with your projects.
Week of April 15, 2025
Executing Excellence
Actionable Insights from 10 Savvy Project Managers
Why it’s a game-changer?
This book is a treasure trove of wisdom and practical guidance from a diverse group of experienced project managers. These professionals share their knowledge and lessons from years of hands-on experience.
Find actionable insights to help you thrive in the world of project management.
Week of April 8, 2025
Eat That Frog
21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
Why it’s a game-changer? This book offers practical strategies to overcome procrastination and enhance productivity by focusing on priorities and tackling your most challenging tasks first. Time management techniques are shared that will help project managers in managing competing priorities and tight deadlines. This will help boost productivity and lead your teams toward timely and successful project outcomes.
Week of April 1, 2025
Surrounded by Idiots
The Four Types of Human Behavior and How to Effectively Communicate with Each
Why it’s a game-changer? Surrounded by Idiots offers a new perspective on how to adapt your communication and collaborate effectively with your stakeholders based on four, distinct behavior types. These include Reds (dominant), Yellows (inspiring), Greens (supportive) and Blues (analytical). This tool can be used for improving team dynamics, stakeholder communication, and conflict resolution. Project managers can build stronger teams, and tailor their communication to individual needs.
Mindset
The New Psychology of Success
Why it’s a game-changer? In this book, Dr. Carol Dweck shares how those with a growth mindset are more likely to flourish than those with a fixed mindset. Project managers that foster a growth mindset demonstrate stronger leadership, more adaptable teams, and better project outcomes overall. Â
Week of March 25, 2025
The Ikigai Way
A Simple Path for Living a Life of Purpose
Why it’s a game-changer? The Ikigai Way will allow you to align your career with your true self by integrating Ikigai into your daily routines and strategic thinking. Project managers will learn how to harness their passions and skills in ways that not only benefit their professional growth, but also their personal satisfaction.Â
Release Date: March 25, 2025
Week of March 18, 2025
Start With Why
How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Why it’s a game-changer? Start With Why focused on the importance of understanding and communicating purpose – a critical element for project success. If you’re looking to inspire your teams, engage your key stakeholders, improve decision-making, and create a sense of ownership, this book will provide a framework to clarify purpose, lead with inspiration, and build alignment.
Week of March 11, 2025
How to Win Friends & Influence People
The Only Book You Need to Lead You to Success
Why it’s a game-changer? You’ll find timeless principles for building strong relationships, fostering collaboration, and effectively leading teams. The book’s core philosophy focuses on empathy and understanding and will equip project managers with the interpersonal skills needed to inspire trust, resolve conflicts, and create positive, productive team environments.
Week of March 4, 2025
Crucial Conversations
Tools for Talking When Stakes are High
Why it’s a game-changer? Mastering tough conversations is a superpower every project manager needs. This book offers practical tools to navigate high-stakes discussions with confidence, clarity, and grace—whether you’re managing a team conflict, negotiating with stakeholders, or advocating for your ideas.Â
Psst…it’s great for managing personal conversations too.
Disclosure: PML may provide affiliate links to products or services that the PML Admin Team feels would be beneficial to our fellow project management colleagues and friends. In some cases, PML may be compensated for purchases made, at no cost to you. This is used to support the costs and growth of the PML Tribe community given that we are a volunteer organization, and we promise to continue to provide valuable content as we grow.
