Celebrating Excellence: Chris Dyer’s The Power of Company Culture Among Top 10 HR Books
The role of Human Resources has expanded far beyond hiring and payroll. Now, HR professionals are at the forefront of shaping company culture, driving employee engagement, and fostering innovation. With so much at stake, staying informed about the best practices in the field is essential—and that’s where great HR books come in.
Recently, BookAuthority.org released its list of the 20 Best Human Resources Books of All Time, a carefully curated collection of titles that offer invaluable insights for leaders, HR professionals, and anyone passionate about workplace excellence.
Among the esteemed works listed, I am thrilled to see my own book, The Power of Company Culture, ranked at #9!
Whether you’re a seasoned HR professional or simply eager to improve your workplace, this list promises to inspire and empower. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 HR books shaping workplaces everywhere and discover what makes them essential reading.
The Top 10 HR Books: A Snapshot of Excellence
The right resources can make all the difference in navigating today’s challenging HR landscape. Here’s a quick look at the top 10 titles shaping the future of HR and who each book is best suited for according to BookAuthority.org:
- The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You By Julie Zhuo
a.Ideal for: Both new and seasoned managers looking for actionable strategies and valuable insights on leadership and team dynamics. - Work Rules!: Insights from Inside Google That Will Transform How You Live and Lead By Laszlo Bock
a. Ideal for: Managers, HR professionals, and anyone curious about innovation and fresh perspectives. - Powerful: Building a Culture of Freedom and Responsibility By Patty McCord
a. Ideal for: Managers, leaders, and HR professionals. - The Essential HR Handbook, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional By Sharon Armstrong
a. Ideal for: Managers & HR Professionals. - Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em, Sixth Edition Getting Good People to Stay By Beverly Kaye
a. Ideal for: Managers at any level aiming to foster a positive and supportive workplace culture. - The Big Book of HR, 10th Anniversary Edition By Barbara Mitchell
a. Ideal for: HR professionals and business owners. - Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing By Anna Papalia
a. Ideal for: Hiring managers and HR professionals as well as job seekers - First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently By Marcus Buckingham
a. Ideal for: Managers looking for guidance on effective management strategies. - The Power of Company Culture: How Any Business can Build a Culture that Improves Productivity, Performance and Profits By Chris Dyer
a. Ideal for: HR managers and business leaders tasked with creating, overseeing, and nurturing organizational culture. - The Truth About Employee Engagement: A Fable About Addressing the Three Root Causes of Job Misery By Patrick M. Lencioni
a. Ideal for: Managers and employees looking to enhance job satisfaction, engagement, and performance.
Digging Deeper: Insights from Three Standout Books
As someone who is passionate about building strong company cultures and empowering leaders, I’ve had the privilege of reading many impactful books on HR and management. Some of these have become staples in my recommended reading list.
I want to take a closer look at five standout titles from the top 10 list, diving into the key takeaways that resonate with me and the work I do.
1. The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo
The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhuo is a must-read for anyone stepping into a management role for the first time. Written by one of Silicon Valley’s top product design executives, Zhuo offers practical advice and guidance for new managers who are trying to find their footing in a leadership position. With her wealth of experience leading teams at some of the world’s most successful tech companies, Zhuo breaks down the complexities of management into actionable strategies that can be applied in any organization.
Key Insights:
- Great Managers Are Made, Not Born. Zhuo challenges the myth that leadership is an innate skill. Instead, she advocates that anyone can become a great manager with the right mindset and dedication to growth.
- Trust is the Foundation of Effective Management. Trust is central to a strong manager-report relationship. Zhuo believes that 1:1 meetings allow leaders to develop a rapport with their employees and fosters deeper trust through two-way communication.
- Leaders Should Invest in a Healthy, Positive Culture. Zhuo compares a team’s culture to its personality, emphasizing that it is shaped by the behaviors, values, and actions of its leaders.
My Thoughts:
I completely agree with Julie’s perspective that great leaders are made, not born. In my own experience, leadership is a skill that can be developed with time, self-awareness, and a commitment to continuous learning.
I’ve witnessed firsthand how cultivating a positive workplace culture can transform a team. It’s not just about collaboration or shared goals; it’s about creating an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and excited to contribute.
2. Work Rules! By Laszlo Bock
Laszlo Bock, Google’s former Senior Vice President of People Operations, played a key role in shaping the company’s groundbreaking HR practices. Under his leadership, Google was repeatedly named the best company to work for globally. In Work Rules!, Bock reveals the people-focused strategies that helped Google become a global leader.
Key Insights:
- Autonomy Drives Engagement: Bock believes that giving employees the freedom to make decisions and take ownership fosters creativity and deeper engagement with the company’s mission, leading to greater innovation.
- Purpose Motivates Contribution: Employees who understand how their work impacts the company’s mission are more likely to go above and beyond. When roles feel meaningful, productivity and satisfaction increase.
- Transparency Builds Trust: Open communication and transparency in decision-making help create a culture where employees feel valued and aligned with company goals.
- Learning from Mistakes is Crucial: Bock stresses that mistakes, even at Google, are essential for growth. Rather than avoiding failure, companies should learn from it to refine their strategies and improve.
My Thoughts:
I strongly believe that a people-first culture is the foundation of a successful organization, and Bock’s insights in Work Rules! resonate with me. His focus on transparency, communication, and learning from mistakes aligns with my own experiences. These principles are part of the seven pillars of company culture I’ve developed.
When employees feel heard, valued, and trusted—knowing it’s okay to learn from mistakes—they become more engaged, motivated, and committed to the company’s mission. This is how you build a thriving, productive culture.
3. The Truth About Employee Engagement by Patrick M. Lencioni
The Truth About Employee Engagement (originally published as The Three Signs of a Miserable Job) tackles the critical issue of job misery—an often overlooked but pervasive problem in workplaces. Lencioni introduces a simple yet powerful model to identify the three root causes of job dissatisfaction: irrelevance, immeasurability, and anonymity. These are the key elements that make work miserable for employees, yet they are often not addressed by managers or leaders.
Key Insights:
- Anonymity Creates Isolation. Employees who feel invisible or unrecognized are less likely to feel connected to the organization. They want to feel valued, like their contributions and abilities matter to the team.
- Irrelevance Makes Work Miserable. When employees feel their work doesn’t matter or contribute to a larger purpose, they disengage. They need to understand their impact.
- Immeasurability Leads to Disengagement. Without clear ways to measure success, employees often feel lost or frustrated. If they don’t understand the goal or how to reach it, how can they ever achieve anything in the workplace?
My Thoughts:
I couldn’t agree more with Patrick Lencioni’s insights on employee engagement. Employees need to understand how their work contributes to the larger mission of the company—when they see the bigger picture, they’re more invested in their role. That’s why transparency and communication are so critical. As leaders, it’s our job to ensure that everyone knows how their efforts matter.
I also believe that acknowledgement and recognition are key drivers of reengagement. When employees feel seen and valued, their motivation and commitment to their work increase exponentially. Recognizing people for their contributions isn’t just nice; it’s essential for building a culture of engagement and trust.
The Power of Company Culture: How Any Business can Build a Culture that Improves Productivity, Performance and Profits
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my own book, The Power of Company Culture, which comes in at a solid #9 on this incredible list. I mean, it would be kind of awkward if I didn’t, right? But in all seriousness, I couldn’t be prouder to see this book recognized alongside such game-changing works.
Here’s the thing about company culture: it’s the lifeblood of an organization—it influences how people work, interact, and ultimately, how they feel about their jobs. Everything we do as leaders feeds into culture, whether we’re fostering trust through transparency or making our teams laugh after a big mistake (because, hey, mistakes happen).
But knowing that culture is important and actually changing it are two very different things. That’s why I wrote this book: to give organizations a clear, actionable roadmap for creating a culture that works for everyone. The key? My Seven Pillars of Company Culture:
- Transparency: Because secrets belong in spy novels, not the workplace.
- Positivity: Let’s focus on solutions, not problems.
- Measurement: You can’t fix what you can’t track.
- Acknowledgement: People need to know their contributions matter.
- Uniqueness: Celebrate what makes each person different—it’s a superpower.
- Listening: Two ears, one mouth—use them in that ratio.
- Mistakes: Don’t hide them. Learn, grow, and laugh when you can.
This book isn’t about vague advice or feel-good platitudes. It’s about showing leaders how to implement real, meaningful change that transforms workplaces into vibrant, thriving communities. So, if you’re looking to create a culture your employees don’t want to leave, you know where to start.
(And hey, if you’ve read it already, thanks for helping it land at #9!)
The core takeaway? Culture is everything.
The books on this list offer invaluable insights for anyone looking to improve their approach to leadership, company culture, and employee engagement. Whether you’re in HR, a manager, or a business leader, these books offer the tools and strategies needed to transform your workplace into one that fosters growth, engagement, and innovation.
As I’ve seen firsthand in my own work, building a strong, people-first culture isn’t just about implementing strategies—it’s about embracing the values that make employees feel seen, valued, and heard. When leaders invest in transparency, trust, and recognition, they set the stage for long-term success.
Here’s to building better cultures and engaging work environments—where people thrive, and organizations succeed.
