It's Okay to Be the Boss: The Step-By-Step Guide to Becoming the Manager Your Employees Need

In my many years in the workforce, I've seen just about every half-baked management fad that's come down the pike. Most of them leave the manager confused and the "managee" feeling patronized or worse. Almost all get dumped sooner rather than later. Thanks to this book I can finally put my finger on what's wrong with these fads - they are simply elaborate excuses to avoid the actual hard work of management by wallowing in pop psychologoy or meaningless "metrics". There is no getting away from the fact that the manager's job is to set very definite expectations for his/her direct reports, communicate them clearly, track them diligently, and reward or discipline the worker accordingly. Tulgan makes it clear that good management takes effort but the rewards are great - a better and more honest relationship with your direct reports, better morale and better productivity. Read this book if you have anyone reporting to you. And if not, buy it for your boss!

I was attracted by the very direct title, and the book delivered. It is specific, detailed, and honest. I particularly appreciated Tulgan's warning that becoming a better manager is like starting a fitness program. I'd rather it wasn't hard, time consuming, and something that requires daily discipline, but I like that he's up front about it. And that his book has so many specific things to do, answers to objections, and reasons it's worth it.

"It was a very different style (edgy and honest) that set itself apart from all of the other business books I've read over the years. There were many good points to validate what we see on a daily basis, plus 3 to 4 good takeaways that I could apply immediately."

I've both read a number of his books (great hand-on advice) as well as having had an opportunity to see Tulgan speak a couple of times. I'm a believer and this new book is an excellent synthesis of the best ideas he's presented and written over the past few years. I've been employed in a couple of extremely demanding and highly service oriented sectors (financial services and real estate) and it's clear who's being managed effectively (the few) and those who are absolutely not. Tulgan nails it - the cost is staggering. He provides an effective approach to cutting-edge management in an understandable and concise, easy to read and easy to follow approach.

If you're like me, someone needing to get better at management but with little formal training, this book is definately for you. It really separates myths from reality and let's us know that what most of us think is "common business knowledge" quite often turns out to either flawed or just plain incorrect. I also like that Bruce is very upfront. He's tells the reader straight away that managing is not simple, not easy and improving at it won't happen overnight but that with effort and hard work we can improve.