FIRST, BREAK ALL THE RULES

by James K. Harter Gallup

Genres: Business, Personal Development, Leadership, Nonfiction

Hardcover

Published September 30, 2020

Reviews

[Mohit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 6 of 2022

Commissioned in 1999, First Break all the Rules is an interesting book from 'Gallup' associates Curt Coffman and Marcus Buckingham and has even since been acclaimed and enhanced upon, edition by edition. It is a piece of work that elaborately discusses what World's greatest managers from some of the greatest companies do differently and what separates a Great manager from the rest. It touches upon how conventional wisdom is now shattering when it comes to leadership and interestingly asserts that even with enough training, a person may not really achieve anything he/she sets mind upon. Talent at times 'cannot' be taught. It is unconventional yet not completely untrue.

What it also states is that all said and done, the managers are the key to attract & retain talent, which I completely agree with. I was constantly making notes while reading this and some of my notes read as;

- Assets and Liabilities in a balance sheet account for only 60% of any company's real market value. 40% is a lot to miss out on.
- Great managers know that the people don't really change that much and so it is better to just make a person more and more of what he/she already is.
- Roads with the most traffic get widened, either on own or by authorities. Which means that practice is important. however, talent is something that cannot really be imbibed easily.
- Talent is transferable from situation to situation but rarely from person to person. We can only 'select' for talent.
- The best way to teach any skill is to breakdown the total performance (or task) into small steps and then have the student reassemble them.
- The golden rule says - Treat people as you like to be treated' but this presupposes that everyone breathes the same psychological oxygen as you. Everyone breathes different psychological oxygen. Essentially, what is fulfilling for one person might be asphyxiating for another.

I was gifted this edition by my then boss and am so glad she did because some books just find you. This is definitely one of those.

[HM Visser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tags:
1. Business
2. Career Advancement
3. Cognition and Metacognition
4. Leadership
5. Non-Fiction
6. Personal Development
7. Psychology
8. Self-Improvement

Summary:
"First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently" by Gallup presents the findings of an in-depth study into what makes a great manager. The authors interviewed over 80,000 managers and learned that the most effective ones break some traditional rules of management.

Instead of trying to change people to fit a job, the best managers find a job that fits the person. They focus on strengths rather than weaknesses, and they don’t believe in the golden rule – instead, they treat every employee differently, understanding that what works for one may not work for another.

The book offers valuable insights and practical advice for managers at all levels, based on empirical evidence rather than abstract theories. It provides tools and templates to help managers identify their employees' strengths and create conditions for them to excel. This thought-provoking book challenges traditional wisdom about management and encourages managers to embrace their uniqueness and individuality.

[Gila]

I read this book for a book group of work colleagues. It talks about how great managers need to operate differently with a focus on the employee and their talents rather solely on profits, the customer and the product. I found it an interesting way to look at managing and supervising. In addition the book was written by the same organization that does Clifton Strengths (or StrengthFinders way back when). Would love to intentionally integrate my management style based on the strengths.

However, even if you have not done the Clifton Strengths - I think this is a really good book to read about being a kind, compassionate manager that accepts people's limitations but still demands excellence.

[Jordan Herron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a lot of great insight and wisdom into being a people-first leader and how to balance that against performing for the company you work for. I enjoyed this read, but it isn’t aging super well. While still a good read, I probably wouldn’t go back to reference any of this content when there are more up to date tools out there.

I think this is something every manager should read once though! It gets your brain moving.

[Ryan Blanchette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have re-read this many times and created a management class based on it's concepts. It is hands down the most impactful management book for me and all of my direct reports past and present.

[A K S H I · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I'm going to try non fiction ever again. It's certainly not made for me. Nothing is bad bout the book, it's just the genre