Being the Boss, with a New Preface: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader

by Linda A. Hill, Kent Lineback

Are you the boss you need to be?

You never dreamed being the boss would be so hard. You're caught in a web of conflicting expectations from your subordinates, from those above you, and from your peers and customers.

You're not alone. As Harvard Business School's Linda Hill and manager and executive Kent Lineback reveal in Being the Boss, becoming an effective manager is a painful, difficult journey. It requires trial and error, endless effort, and slowly acquired personal insight. Many managers never complete the journey and instead just learn how to get by. At worst, they become terrible bosses.

This essential book, now with a new preface, explains how to avoid that fate by mastering three

Manage Learn that management isn't about doing all the work on your own. It's about leading others to accomplish things with you as their guide.Manage your Understand how power and influence work in your organization, and build a network of mutually beneficial relationships to navigate your company's complex political environmentManage your Create a high-performing "we" out of all the "I's" who report to you.

Packed with compelling stories and practical advice, Being the Boss is an indispensable guide not only for first-time managers but for all managers seeking to master the most daunting challenges of leadership.

Genres: Business, Leadership, Nonfiction, Self Help, Management, Personal Development

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2019

Reviews

[Rita Arens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pep talk on paper

[Tyler Replogle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed how this book took a tactical view. Many of the books I’ve read on management are strategic.

[Carlos Chang · Rating 4 out of 5]

** This review was written years after the book (audio) had been read. Instead of writing immediately after the reading, some contents may be recalled inaccurately. Date started and date finished are approximate for reference. **

I have read this book 1.5 times as I am in the midst of finishing my second time reading (or listening the audio version). This books has framed the discussion of being a manager into 3 perspectives: 1) Managing yourself 2) Managing your network 3) Managing your team. It is a reminder to all employees nowadays that you are the manager of yourself. Even though most employees are managed by their managers, today's managers are responsible for the performance of their teams including oneself. Individuals should look for ways to identify flaws in their performance and look for opportunities to improve accordingly.

It is a paradox that individuals especially the younger generation are much less receptive to authoritarian management style. However, most of them would prefer to be told what to do instead of spending time and effort on understanding challenges and identifying solutions. As a manager, you are responsible for the performance of his or her team. However, all individuals within a team should also take both drive and ownership for continuous performance improvement. A manager is not necessary an outstanding technician and performs technical tasks better than those in his or her team. However, an effective manager should be able to drive team's performance via approaches suggested by the author e.g. walk the talk and maintain a constructive team relationship (not friendship or preferential relationship).

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand how interaction and relationship work i the commercial world. In particular, this book is not just for those in the managerial position but also for individuals on how to maintain effective working relationship with others and teams.

[Hom Sack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advice for new managers. The authors even have a cast of characters in the Appendix for the story-telling part in the book about a fictious company to illustrate their points. In all, instructive. As a bonus, they even offer an extended list of references.

Here is a taste of the book:

Being the Boss with Linda Hill - YouTube
Jul 17, 2018
In this Leadership Perspectives Webinar from the International Leadership Association (www.ila-net.org), Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill discusses how to evaluate your skills and then build a plan to enable you to become the great boss you need to be. This presentation is based on her recent book "Being the Boss:The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader".

[Akshat Anand · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who isn’t a manager, this book feels highly informative. However, for a manager with some experience, it might not offer much that’s new. Regardless of which group you fall into, there’s certainly content that can encourage introspection about your professional outlook. It’s literally written such that a person begins to question their doings. It feels good in certain chapters but feels too much in others.

[Sudhir Thite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is precise reflection of what manager or leader should be. The narratives in book are explained simply and makes a wonderful read.

This book shall be something each individual should have in its repertoire before starting to lead people in any capacity.

Amazing read and I wish I could have known about this book early in my managerial stint.

[Jason Glasser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started really strong with the paradoxes of management and thoughts on managing yourself and your network. The managing your team section was less solid and felt a bit scattere/like a list of thoughts.

Still worth a read though.

[Timothy Kato · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read for any manager. Practical, real advice and really helps explain the key concept of networking and why it’s important but often neglected.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 2019.
Manage yourself, your network and your team

[Maggie Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty basic leadership concepts, great if you're new to leading, but otherwise not anything you haven't heard.