The Making of a Manager

Publisher's Summary

Congratulations, you're a manager! After you pop the champagne, accept the shiny new title, and step into this thrilling next chapter of your career, the truth descends like a fog: You don't really know what you're doing.

That's exactly how Julie Zhuo felt when she became a rookie manager at the age of 25. She stared at a long list of logistics - from hiring to firing, from meeting to messaging, from planning to pitching - and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. How was she supposed to spin teamwork into value? How could she be a good steward of her reports' careers? What was the secret to leading with confidence in new and unexpected situations?

Now, having managed dozens of teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, Julie knows the most important lesson of all: Great managers are made, not born. If you care enough to be reading this, then you care enough to be a great manager. 

The Making of a Manager is a modern field guide packed with everyday examples and transformative insights, including:

• How to tell a great manager from an average manager
• When you should look past an awkward interview and hire someone anyway
• How to build trust with your reports through not being a boss
• Where to look when you lose faith and lack the answers

Whether you're new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the kind of manager you wish you had.

©2019 Julie Zhuo (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"I've seen so many people thrust into management in high-growth companies with so little guidance. From now on, I will hand them this book. Its practical wisdom is immediately useful for the newly minted manager - and us old ones." (Ev Williams, CEO of Medium and cofounder of Twitter)

“Julie Zhuo had to learn to be a manager fast, as her role kept expanding in the hyper-growth environment of a successful Silicon Valley start-up. In The Making of a Manager, she shares what she learned - often, the hard way. She combines cutting-edge analysis of how organizations work with engaging and accessible examples of how theory plays out in real life, with stories of what she did right and wrong.” (Gretchen Rubin, New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Project) 

“I wish I'd had this book when I started managing a team at Instagram. Julie covers the full range of becoming a manager, from your first meetings with your team to accomplishing huge goals together.” (Mike Krieger, cofounder of Instagram) 

So grateful for this book.

I downloaded The Making of a Manager on audible on a whim. It had no reviews, but the title had me very curious. I have been a manager for a little over a year, and have been trying to read all I can about becoming a great one. Julie's book has already soared to the top 10 most helpful books I have ever read. It is chock-full of practical advice, examples of her own experiences, and lots of encouragement for new managers. I have already seen incredibly positive responses to some of the practices that I recently implemented into my management style. I am SO grateful I took a chance on this book. Absolutely worth every minute I spent listening to it.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Drink the Facebook Kool Aid

Content was good, sprinkled with millenials trivia in the early chapters, turning into a lot of name dropping "when I ... " , and ending with Zuckerberg worship at the church of Facebook. If you can get beyond that, her insights and message are on point.

4 of 7 people found this review helpful

A must-read for any new manager

As someone who has been a manager for only a couple of years, this book is a brilliant overview of the challenges a new manager is likely to face as they take on greater responsibility. There are tactical examples that can be applied immediately, as well as advice on how to work with the different personalities you will encounter on your team. After listening to the audiobook, I also bought the hard copy for easy reference.

Zhuo relates to all, not just managers

I'm not a manager (yet), but gained so much insight from this book. I found myself thinking at least once each chapter, "I wish MY manager did that." It's full of tips and ideas for navigating corporate structure and remaining helpful, especially to your direct reports. My only complaint was the narrator, who read as if she was ... desperate to convince me of something? I wish her delivery matched the genuineness of the author.

The first book of every manager

I would liked have read this book when I've started being a manager. Particularly, I learned most of the lessons Julie brought to us, but learning them, sometimes, were very painful.

Perfect playbook for anyone who manages a team

I stumbled upon this book while reading one of Julie's articles on LinkedIn. This book is packed with golden nuggets that is helpful to anyone who manages a team. I really appreciated the way Julie provided simple, easy to follow examples and actionable steps. I will be purchasing the hard copy of this book, because I can see myself referring to it for years to come.

Great book to help dive into your teams goals

This was a great book for new managers to look at themselves and ask what do I truly do and how can I have impact on my team.

Worst Management Book I’ve Read

I’ve been reading books about management and leadership for the past 6 months from various authors. This book was cliched and fails to touch on any areas that may actually be helpful for new or experienced managers. I hope I can return it.

1 of 6 people found this review helpful

liberal crap.

do not bother with this unless you are going to manage a bunch of snowflakes at a liberal company like facebook.

0 of 4 people found this review helpful