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Do Nothing!: How to Stop Overmanaging and Become a Great Leader
Imagine you’ve just come back to work after a two-week vacation during which you actually relaxed, without calling in or checking e-mail. You discover that there are no pressing issues and that, on the contrary, your team scored a big new customer and fixed a nagging problem during your absence. No red flags or fires to put out. Sadly, for most leaders this scenario is only a dream. They constantly check on what’s happening because they expect the worst (and usually get it). But Keith Murnighan shows that not only is “do nothing” leadership possible, it is also far more effective than doing too much. Great leaders don’t work; they facilitate and orchestrate. They think of great strategies and help others implement them. They spend their time preparing for the future. They take a comprehensive view of their terrain while also noticing key details so they can confidently choose the right forks in the road.
In other words, great leaders don’t do anything—except think, make key decisions, help people do their jobs better, and add a touch of organizational control to make sure the final recipes come out okay. In sharp contrast, most leaders are too busy actually working to do these things—and their teams suffer as a result. Do Nothing! ’s practical strategies and true stories will show you how to set high expectations for your team and watch it rise to the challenge. It will help you establish a healthier culture by trusting people more than they expect to be trusted. And it will help you overcome your natural tendencies toward micromanagement so you can let people do their jobs—even when you know you could do their jobs better. As Murnighan writes, “My experience suggests that you will be surprised—wildly surprised. People on your team will reveal skills you never knew they had and will accomplish things that go far beyond your estimate of their capabilities. They might not do things the way you would do them, but they will get results you never expected. Everyone has hidden talents, and most leaders never discover them. Before you reject this approach, ask what if you did nothing and it actually worked?”
In other words, great leaders don’t do anything—except think, make key decisions, help people do their jobs better, and add a touch of organizational control to make sure the final recipes come out okay. In sharp contrast, most leaders are too busy actually working to do these things—and their teams suffer as a result. Do Nothing! ’s practical strategies and true stories will show you how to set high expectations for your team and watch it rise to the challenge. It will help you establish a healthier culture by trusting people more than they expect to be trusted. And it will help you overcome your natural tendencies toward micromanagement so you can let people do their jobs—even when you know you could do their jobs better. As Murnighan writes, “My experience suggests that you will be surprised—wildly surprised. People on your team will reveal skills you never knew they had and will accomplish things that go far beyond your estimate of their capabilities. They might not do things the way you would do them, but they will get results you never expected. Everyone has hidden talents, and most leaders never discover them. Before you reject this approach, ask what if you did nothing and it actually worked?”
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2012
40 people are currently reading
315 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 7, 2021
For me, this is a very good book and I think that everyone should read it since we can all become leaders in different ways.
In this book, the author explains how to delegate work and get the best out of each person who works on the team. This does not mean that a leader should not do anything, on the contrary, it is hard work where the leader must manage to get the best out of each one, he is in constant work.
I'll give this book a 5-star rating, for all types of workers, easy and fast to read.
I recommend reading this interesting book, here is a phrase that marked me personally:
"Everyone starts out with opportunity: some people start out with more, others with less. Although being blessed with a great genetic structure, strong parents, and a supportive developmental environment certainly helps, achieving greatness as a leader also takes diligence, learning from experience, constantly seeking information and insights, and making the effort to grow. " (p. 149)
In this book, the author explains how to delegate work and get the best out of each person who works on the team. This does not mean that a leader should not do anything, on the contrary, it is hard work where the leader must manage to get the best out of each one, he is in constant work.
I'll give this book a 5-star rating, for all types of workers, easy and fast to read.
I recommend reading this interesting book, here is a phrase that marked me personally:
"Everyone starts out with opportunity: some people start out with more, others with less. Although being blessed with a great genetic structure, strong parents, and a supportive developmental environment certainly helps, achieving greatness as a leader also takes diligence, learning from experience, constantly seeking information and insights, and making the effort to grow. " (p. 149)
February 18, 2021
This book is a great one for anyone who wants to succeed in life.
Sooner or later, everyone in this world will be faced with leadership positions at different levels, and this book teaches an interesting approach for when this moment arrives.
It sounds obvious, but it happens a lot that leaders end up micromanaging and thus becoming less productive. In simple words, the whole concept behind is that trusting your people and letting them do more, the whole team will perform better and you will personally achieve much, much more.
The author gives many real examples of natural and unnatural leaders that make the concept easier to internalize.
I personally enjoyed this book a lot and would reread it if I ever feel I am not going in the direction of becoming a great leader.
Sooner or later, everyone in this world will be faced with leadership positions at different levels, and this book teaches an interesting approach for when this moment arrives.
It sounds obvious, but it happens a lot that leaders end up micromanaging and thus becoming less productive. In simple words, the whole concept behind is that trusting your people and letting them do more, the whole team will perform better and you will personally achieve much, much more.
The author gives many real examples of natural and unnatural leaders that make the concept easier to internalize.
I personally enjoyed this book a lot and would reread it if I ever feel I am not going in the direction of becoming a great leader.
February 19, 2015
This book offers a different approach to leadership and management - do less and focus on leading and planning for the future. The concept isn't too revolutionary, but it is likely a good reminder for the technician who has gotten promoted and no longer can be a 'do-er.' It encourages managers to back off, stop micromanaging, foster trust and promote reliance on the team's talent. Orchestrate and facilitate, care for your people, and stop doing their work.
With seven main themes, the author tries to show how to 'do nothing' and lead more: focus on them, start at the end, trust more, release control (deviously), bear down warmly, ignore performance goals, and de-emphasize profits.
The author uses historical and anecdotal examples to highlight the principles he presents in the book. The examples are interesting, but not always as successful as the author had hoped. I appreciate the historical lesson of the failure of Britain's appeasement strategy to constrain Germany's ambition for conquering Europe (pp. 35-38). I'm not sure that it really applies to most people, however, and a failure to negotiate on the world's stage is not necessarily the same in a business context.
I found this book at the Pentagon library and I was intrigued by the title. Unfortunately, I am more of a worker bee and less of a 'leader' there, so I don't really have the chance to implement this concept at work, but I can see the benefits in general and appreciate the message. I think the book is a bit redundant in places for such a simple message, but I suppose the author needed to have some length to the book to make it appear more credible. It would be nice, however, if some of the senior leaders there took this lesson to heart.
I have to admit that I got confused when he started discussing "Five Natural Problems of Individuals as Leaders" (pp. 40-45). He doesn't actually list or explain these five problems, although there is a depiction that I guess labels them. Instead, he dives right into solving them, but it all feels like he's missing a huge chunk of his manuscript. It's not entirely coherent, and I spent far too much time rereading previous pages trying to figure out what I missed and where I got off track. I was trying to read the book fairly quickly, almost skimming the pages to get the gist of the concepts, but I was still as perplexed when I went back and reread the confusing pages. That's when I started considering rating the book a bit lower.
In the end, I gave it a typical 3-star rating. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I do hope to
interesting quotes:
."..teams can benefit enormously when their leaders have high, positive expectations. This should be a consistent message. It's also a message that you don't have to convey verbally. If you consistently have high standards and you are committed to them, your team members will get the message and will do their best to reach them. And getting this message across doesn't require that you do anything - your team members will get a good sense of how you feel from your everyday, high-standard activities." (p. 16)
"...not only do we often find what we are looking for in people, we sometimes create what we are looking for in people." (p. 41)
"...bad outcomes tend to seriously outweigh comparable good outcomes because they are vivid, available events. Our memories are not egalitarian: we remember events that stand out, and negatives stand out much more than positives do. This is particularly true for people who have trusted and been burned: trust violations are vivid, emotionally charged events. As a result, they affect us deeply and they influence our subsequent decision making much more than positive outcomes do." (p. 83)
"So how do you balance your position of authority with your need to know them as people? Here's my standard rule, explained in an example: by all means socialize with your team members, Every so often take them out for a drink on a Friday afternoon. Talk about local community events, sports, the economy - you name it. You can even talk about work.
Buy them the first round. Also buy them the second round, but don't buy a second drink for yourself. Instead, take this as your time to leave. (Your timing doesn't have to be strict; this is just a general recipe.) Why? Most of the time, you should be the first person on your team to leave this kind of social event so that your team members can talk among themselves more comfortably." (p. 134)
"Everyone starts out with opportunity: some people start out with more, others with less. Although being blessed with a great genetic structure, strong parents, and a supportive developmental environment certainly helps, achieving greatness as a leader also takes diligence, learning from experience, constantly seeking information and insights, and making the effort to grow." (p. 149)
With seven main themes, the author tries to show how to 'do nothing' and lead more: focus on them, start at the end, trust more, release control (deviously), bear down warmly, ignore performance goals, and de-emphasize profits.
The author uses historical and anecdotal examples to highlight the principles he presents in the book. The examples are interesting, but not always as successful as the author had hoped. I appreciate the historical lesson of the failure of Britain's appeasement strategy to constrain Germany's ambition for conquering Europe (pp. 35-38). I'm not sure that it really applies to most people, however, and a failure to negotiate on the world's stage is not necessarily the same in a business context.
I found this book at the Pentagon library and I was intrigued by the title. Unfortunately, I am more of a worker bee and less of a 'leader' there, so I don't really have the chance to implement this concept at work, but I can see the benefits in general and appreciate the message. I think the book is a bit redundant in places for such a simple message, but I suppose the author needed to have some length to the book to make it appear more credible. It would be nice, however, if some of the senior leaders there took this lesson to heart.
I have to admit that I got confused when he started discussing "Five Natural Problems of Individuals as Leaders" (pp. 40-45). He doesn't actually list or explain these five problems, although there is a depiction that I guess labels them. Instead, he dives right into solving them, but it all feels like he's missing a huge chunk of his manuscript. It's not entirely coherent, and I spent far too much time rereading previous pages trying to figure out what I missed and where I got off track. I was trying to read the book fairly quickly, almost skimming the pages to get the gist of the concepts, but I was still as perplexed when I went back and reread the confusing pages. That's when I started considering rating the book a bit lower.
In the end, I gave it a typical 3-star rating. I liked it, but I didn't love it. I do hope to
interesting quotes:
."..teams can benefit enormously when their leaders have high, positive expectations. This should be a consistent message. It's also a message that you don't have to convey verbally. If you consistently have high standards and you are committed to them, your team members will get the message and will do their best to reach them. And getting this message across doesn't require that you do anything - your team members will get a good sense of how you feel from your everyday, high-standard activities." (p. 16)
"...not only do we often find what we are looking for in people, we sometimes create what we are looking for in people." (p. 41)
"...bad outcomes tend to seriously outweigh comparable good outcomes because they are vivid, available events. Our memories are not egalitarian: we remember events that stand out, and negatives stand out much more than positives do. This is particularly true for people who have trusted and been burned: trust violations are vivid, emotionally charged events. As a result, they affect us deeply and they influence our subsequent decision making much more than positive outcomes do." (p. 83)
"So how do you balance your position of authority with your need to know them as people? Here's my standard rule, explained in an example: by all means socialize with your team members, Every so often take them out for a drink on a Friday afternoon. Talk about local community events, sports, the economy - you name it. You can even talk about work.
Buy them the first round. Also buy them the second round, but don't buy a second drink for yourself. Instead, take this as your time to leave. (Your timing doesn't have to be strict; this is just a general recipe.) Why? Most of the time, you should be the first person on your team to leave this kind of social event so that your team members can talk among themselves more comfortably." (p. 134)
"Everyone starts out with opportunity: some people start out with more, others with less. Although being blessed with a great genetic structure, strong parents, and a supportive developmental environment certainly helps, achieving greatness as a leader also takes diligence, learning from experience, constantly seeking information and insights, and making the effort to grow." (p. 149)
June 17, 2012
Management professor, J Keith Murnigham < http://keithmurnighan.wordpress.com/a... > in his book, Do Nothing! lays out a rationale and road map to move away from micro-managing to “leading, facilitating and orchestrating.” Not surprisingly Keith is a fan of Carol Dweck’s advocacy of a growth Mindset – a book I heartily recommend.
I agree with much of the common sense, general advice in his book, such as “doing too much is far worse than doing too little,” yet in business as in art, it is often a matter of exactly where you draw the line.
He writes, “When things are really clicking, work will be like the performance of a great Beethoven symphony, with the notes in the right place, the crescendos coming on time, and at the end, a feeling of exhilaration at your collective accomplishments.” I also know that feeling, first hand, when at the Wall Street Journal, with a beloved bureau chief who seemed to know how to bring out the unique talents of each of us, and when to have a tight rein and when to let it loose. The art in leading or managing, it seems to me is in know when to do both, especially in times of internal conflict where I would have liked to have read more advice from Murnigham.
I disagree, in one small way, with his advice to “Dan” a great IT guy who was promoted up the organization and away from a place where he could use his IT skills: “He really didn’t want to give up the skills he had worked so hard to perfect. His predicament is true of every leader: when you get promoted, you can’t rely on your technical skills any more.”
Some people who have great mastery of a needed skill are more valuable to the organization and will experience more meaning and satisfaction if they can continue to use those skills and have a separate promotional track in their firm, as 3M provided at one time. Plus, in an increasingly self-organized and disruptive world, the skills of initiating and participating in collaboration may be at least as valuable as traditional leadership skills. Companies that support self-organizing to capture an opportunity or solve a problem may thrive more than those that cite “leadership” as a top skill. This book indirectly supports that notion – set the vision, supply the resources and get out of the way of your people so they can perform at their best together and for each other.
He cites some research and resultant insights not usually in a business book such as overcoming the empathy gap and the concrete benefits of starting from a place of trust in those you lead. One of my favorite examples about facilitative, collective team work is on page 111 where he describes how cardiac surgery teams, in learning a new and much less invasive surgical technique must move from a surgeon-as-God format to one in which everyone of the team is seeing different information on the technology they are responsible for and thus the team must be in constant verbal communication to perform at their best. Everyone must listen to and respond to everyone. This is an apt metaphor for many other kinds of work situations. In fact, it would probably serve us well if those in other sectors, such as politicians, were somehow forced/rewarded to act similarly yet I cannot think of a scenario in which that might happen…. unfortunately.
I recommend this book as a strong primer for today’s leaders, with its focus on providing a clear vision, being transparent, facilitative and seeing yourself as an orchestrator rather than the boss who gives orders. If you follow this approach you will probably feel better when you answer Clay Christensen’s question, How Will You Measure Your Life? I recommend, as complementary companion books, Willpower, Great by Choice, Collaboration, Little Bets and The Business Model Innovation Factory.
I agree with much of the common sense, general advice in his book, such as “doing too much is far worse than doing too little,” yet in business as in art, it is often a matter of exactly where you draw the line.
He writes, “When things are really clicking, work will be like the performance of a great Beethoven symphony, with the notes in the right place, the crescendos coming on time, and at the end, a feeling of exhilaration at your collective accomplishments.” I also know that feeling, first hand, when at the Wall Street Journal, with a beloved bureau chief who seemed to know how to bring out the unique talents of each of us, and when to have a tight rein and when to let it loose. The art in leading or managing, it seems to me is in know when to do both, especially in times of internal conflict where I would have liked to have read more advice from Murnigham.
I disagree, in one small way, with his advice to “Dan” a great IT guy who was promoted up the organization and away from a place where he could use his IT skills: “He really didn’t want to give up the skills he had worked so hard to perfect. His predicament is true of every leader: when you get promoted, you can’t rely on your technical skills any more.”
Some people who have great mastery of a needed skill are more valuable to the organization and will experience more meaning and satisfaction if they can continue to use those skills and have a separate promotional track in their firm, as 3M provided at one time. Plus, in an increasingly self-organized and disruptive world, the skills of initiating and participating in collaboration may be at least as valuable as traditional leadership skills. Companies that support self-organizing to capture an opportunity or solve a problem may thrive more than those that cite “leadership” as a top skill. This book indirectly supports that notion – set the vision, supply the resources and get out of the way of your people so they can perform at their best together and for each other.
He cites some research and resultant insights not usually in a business book such as overcoming the empathy gap and the concrete benefits of starting from a place of trust in those you lead. One of my favorite examples about facilitative, collective team work is on page 111 where he describes how cardiac surgery teams, in learning a new and much less invasive surgical technique must move from a surgeon-as-God format to one in which everyone of the team is seeing different information on the technology they are responsible for and thus the team must be in constant verbal communication to perform at their best. Everyone must listen to and respond to everyone. This is an apt metaphor for many other kinds of work situations. In fact, it would probably serve us well if those in other sectors, such as politicians, were somehow forced/rewarded to act similarly yet I cannot think of a scenario in which that might happen…. unfortunately.
I recommend this book as a strong primer for today’s leaders, with its focus on providing a clear vision, being transparent, facilitative and seeing yourself as an orchestrator rather than the boss who gives orders. If you follow this approach you will probably feel better when you answer Clay Christensen’s question, How Will You Measure Your Life? I recommend, as complementary companion books, Willpower, Great by Choice, Collaboration, Little Bets and The Business Model Innovation Factory.
November 22, 2014
This was an interesting contrarian approach to management concepts, focused on leaders who do as little as possible; instead actually leading by trusting and motivating their employees instead of micromanaging. It has some very interesting points and examples, including short bios of 7 'unconventional' leaders who embody one or more of his chapters. The book is a quick read, with a lot of examples and anecdotes (a large percentage pulled from the sports world, for what it's worth), but is very clear and methodical in making its points. There are definitely some lessons to pull out of it for my own work, and I will recommend it to other leaders I'm around as I think they can glean useful ideas from it too. There's a very nice summary at the end that encapsulates the book perfectly and is a good starting point for sharing.
September 5, 2024
This was a pretty standard business book, and it had some good advice. It doesn’t, however, really cover the path of how to coach folks that can’t work within this system, or what to do when someone suddenly thinks that’s their window to do all kinds of things that shouldn’t be done or don’t align with the brand decisions. I’m guessing it is “fire them” but not everyone should be fired, they just need to be rerouted.
September 20, 2018
Timely reminder on the well-known principles of leadership.
One takeaway for me is that empowerment and granting autonomy is not the be all and end all, rather it is collective wisdom of setting right goals, prioritising values, and defining value that enables success.
One takeaway for me is that empowerment and granting autonomy is not the be all and end all, rather it is collective wisdom of setting right goals, prioritising values, and defining value that enables success.
July 4, 2022
All managers should read this book. I highly recommend it for micromanagers.
September 25, 2012
some useful advice to managers to back off and trust and empower your workers. the more you do the less they will do, the less they will trust you and the more you will do for them, vicious circle. i liked his advice about backward engineering your goals and figuring out the reaction you hope to get and then doing what will get you that reaction. some of his profiles were good, like maggie doyne and her nepalese orphanage, and some were the usual suspects, like honda and phil jackson. but overall it was worth reading.
January 7, 2013
This is a great primer for anyone moving from an entry-level position to a management position. While much of the advice it offers seems like common sense (care about the people you manage; listen to their ideas), the book also offers many refreshing insights. It also has some interesting profiles on successful leaders and the way they use their own interests and values to create a unique management style. After reading this book, I plan to try to trust people more and give them challenging projects rather than waiting for them to step up and start doing more without being asked.
July 22, 2012
Like all business books, this one offers the author's focused view of key principles, founded on common sense, that if followed, one hopes to become better at whatever one does.
Murnighan's writing is insightful, crisp and motivating. Using the stories of real persons was a nice twist and helps one remember the key principles.
Murnighan's writing is insightful, crisp and motivating. Using the stories of real persons was a nice twist and helps one remember the key principles.
July 12, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. He lays out a few basic but powerful actions anyone can implement. A very good book for any new manager interested in how to be effective. Also very good for managers looking to learn, grow and improve.
September 6, 2012
Useful basic advice about how to be a better leader. The title is a misnomer -- leaders have lots to do. It begins with the most difficult task of all, focusing on managing your staff, not doing their work.
August 9, 2015
a pretty good read with a nice flow, it was not overly-repeating the main concept like most similar books. great last chapter telling about 7 examples of great leaders that supported each section of the book that i'll probably come back to for inspiration :)
September 26, 2015
This book had some really good information in it. Instead of leaders focusing on details (that's why they hire other people, after all), they should focus on facilitating and orchestrating. The section on Phil Jackson is a great example of someone who does just that!
September 3, 2012
Good book for those who subscribe to leadership over management and who believe that the key to good leadership is to let their staff bring their own capabilities to bear.
September 30, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this. I don't remember the last time I bought a book for myself, but this is going on my wishlist!
March 31, 2013
Do Nothing. Easy to say, hard to do. Great read.
October 19, 2012
An enjoyable book describing techniques for enabling your managers and teams to be empowered and execute with out needing to micromanaging
March 3, 2013
Quick read with lots of useful tips that I will try to implement.
November 28, 2014
Great book and great tips but could have been summed up in 50 pages. Delegate properly, trust in people more, and get people in align with your mission.
January 21, 2015
game changer.
January 31, 2018
nice and easy reading,offers a different perspective on management and how it is built on trust
September 4, 2022
"Do nothing-- and see if the vacuum gets filled."
Incredibly inspiring.
Incredibly inspiring.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews