Being the Boss, with a New Preface - by Linda A Hill & Kent Lineback (Hardcover)

About the Book

"You never dreamed being the boss would be so hard. You're caught in a web of conflicting expectations from subordinates, your supervisor, 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's trial and error, endless effort, and slowly acquired personal insight. Many managers never complete the journey. Often, they just learn 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 imperatives: Manage yourself: Learn that management isn't about getting things done yourself. It's about accomplishing things through others. Manage a network: Understand how power and influence work in your organization and build a network of mutually beneficial relationships to navigate your company's complex political environment. Manage a team: Forge a high-performing "we" out of all the 'I's who report to you. Packed with compelling stories and practical guidance, Being the Boss is an indispensable guide for not only first-time managers but all managers seeking to master the most daunting challenges of leadership."--

Book Synopsis

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 imperatives:

• Manage yourself: 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 network: Understand how power and influence work in your organization, and build a network of mutually beneficial relationships to navigate your company's complex political environment
• Manage your team: 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.

Review Quotes

"A cleared-eye assessment of the paradoxes and complexities of being the boss . . . offers practical advice on the questions and techniques that can help managers become more effective." -- Forbes.com

"[Hill and Lineback] offer a lucid blend of cogent theory and practical strategies. They educate and inspire novice and experienced leaders who want to practice the fundamentals of good management." -- Washington Post

"[A] modern classic . . ." -- Financial Times

About the Author

Linda A. Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, the faculty chair of the Leadership Initiative, and author of Becoming a Manager. Kent Lineback, now a coach, writer, and collaborator, spent nearly thirty years as a manager and executive in business and government. He is the coauthor (with Randy Komisar) of the bestseller The Monk and the Riddle.

Author social media/website info: hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6479; linkedin.com/in/linda-hill-52a661