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

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Description

Bruce Tulgan shows bosses how to get things done by solving corporate America’s huge problem with simple, effective management.In this call-to-arms, consultant and speaker Bruce Tulgan puts his finger on biggest problem in corporate America: no one wants to be the boss. No one wants to take responsibility and tell their employees what to do and how to do it. More importantly, no one wants to follow up and make sure that assignments were done and done right.Making a clear distinction between managers who interfere with the work at hand and managers who are simply afraid to take charge by setting clear goals and evaluating work, Tulgan opens eyes to the undisciplined workplace that is frustrating workers at every level. Giving a clear 8-step path to becoming a strong manager, Tulgan will empower anyone to be the best bosses they can be. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Business; First Edition (March 13, 2007)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 4


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 64


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.77 x 8.25 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #83,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #779 in Business Management (Books) #1,116 in Leadership & Motivation #2,189 in Personal Transformation Self-Help


#779 in Business Management (Books):


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Sunday, Nov 24

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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Definitely worth the investment!
I LOVE this book! Extremely readable. I abhor dry & boring leadership books, but I couldn't put this one down! I was able to read the whole thing in a weekend. I started implementing the changes Bruce suggested and I immediately saw results. As matter of fact, over the past couple weeks, our stats have improved, and my boss has taken notice and told me yesterday that he thinks our office is running so much better now. Just what a new manager wants to hear! My employees are also blossoming in front of my eyes! One is responding EXTREMELY well to this method and is quickly becoming a top performer, and one is having some opposition, but I can tell she's realizing this is the right way to do things. It has been time consuming, but in the RIGHT way. I also have WAAAAY more time to focus on my actual Office Manager duties now than I did running around putting out fires all day because no one was following procedures. So if you are struggling as a new manager or your team needs help, I'd highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend this book! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2018 by Jennifer W.

  • Excellent book for managers
As a manager I've sometimes struggled with how approach employees regarding task I need done and providing feedback when employees miss the mark. I have even avoided conversations at times instead of providing the feedback instantly and letting the employee continue to be a problem. This book provides excellent strategy and examples of how to be more engaging and deal with problem employees as well as good employees. This is a must read for all managers. The undermanagement epidemic is real; this book shows you how to over come it and push outstnading results. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2017 by William

  • Great tips about managing!
This is an exceptional tool for managers. It helps us to understand the delicate balance between micromanaging and not managing at all. One of the biggest areas of frustration for managers is exactly that, managing other people! This book teaches you how to be proactive about managing, and how you can head off most "people headaches" long before they blow up in your face. Most managers get promoted into positions because they were good employees - but often do not have any management experience at all. I support this book and OFTEN recommend it because it helps managers to understand the importance of basic respect and involvement in their employee's day-to-day worklife. Management does not need to be difficult, and this book shows you both why and how. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2016 by Crystal

  • Great for new leaders
I purchased this book for four of my managers for Christmas. It is an easy read and has very relatable scenarios in the book. Each of them has started to read the book and has personally come to me to tell me how what they read relates to something they have going on right now. It was good eye opener for them and helped them to find solutions on how to manage individuals. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019 by PAUL E KINCAID

  • Concise and practical advice
Great read to help managers shape up their management style and focus on delivering tangible results. I believe that this book can be a great tool to transition to a more hands on mange,ent approach to lead any type of team.
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2019 by TRP

  • It's OK to read this - but read the "27 Challenges" instead
This book is ok. But, if you are going to read a Tulgan book make it " "The 27 Challenges Managers Face." You see, Tulgan's recommendations focus on meeting regularly in one-on-ones with your employees. During these meetings, you establish goals and deadlines, make expectations clear, track performance, provide feedback etc. He calls these 'high structure, high substance' meetings. That is basically what 'It's OK to Be the Boss" says. Where you get more bang for your buck is the "27 Challenges" book. He adjusts the advice for different challenges, including going from peer to leader, coming from the outside, teaching problem solving to employees, managing attitudes etc. Thus, you get a broader perspective on the basic 'high structure-high substance meetings' idea. Also, his 'people list' and some other items in the "27 Challenges' book are good too. The "27 Challenges" book would be great for a new manager training course. I have appreciated and used the "27 Challenges" recommendations. My only knock on Tulgan's recommendations is that he seems to focus too much on the 'tell them what to do' or directive behavior for the manager, rather than developing people to 'tell you what they are going to do'. If you only do the 'tell' then you will not get self-managed people. Also, you will irritate those skilled and self-motivated people who are great assets in your workforce. I would like to see his recommendations move toward developing independently acting employees (e.g. moving from S1 to S4 in the Situational Leadership Model). ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2017 by T. Dahlstrom

  • Brilliant- exactly the book I needed
I have been a boss before but this new team has been a big struggle. I came in after a long absence of mgmt and the team was looking for a strong leader. My “we are all in this together” hands off approach was not serving me well. This book laid out some clear action and I am becoming a much better boss. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2019 by Amazon Customer

  • It's Okay to Be the Boss... a return to real management
This book promises to explore, explain and guide you through the difficulties of being a high performance boss in a demanding workforce and it delivers. Anyone who has been in Management for any length of time will see many of the pitfalls that Bruce discusses and say, "oh, I remember that," or "yep, been there!" More importantly than getting the scenarios right, he gets the usual outcomes spot on as well. This gives strength and credibility to his recommended management styles which align strongly with common sense. In the end, It's all about expectations and accountability and Bruce Tulgan delivers both for the unsure or discouraged managing professional. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2015 by MikeSRice

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