The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You

by Julie Zhuo

overestimating what you, the manager, are capable of.

assuming that nobody wants to take on hard problems.

to actually believe your report is capable of solving the problem.

the public declaration empowers the delegate.

He’s the captain, but you’re with him on the boat.

TWO HEADS, ONE SHARED VISION

eye to eye on what’s most important.

What are the biggest priorities right now for our team?

Are we aligned in how we think about people, purpose, and process?

you and your report should be aligned on why you’re doing what you’re doing and what success looks like.

WHAT TO DO WHEN A MANAGER STRUGGLES

Would you hire this person again if the role were open?

AIM TO PUT YOURSELF OUT OF A JOB

spend your time and energy on the intersection of 1) what’s most important to the organization and 2) what you’re uniquely able to do better than anyone else.

give someone a fish, and you feed them for a day.

Identifying and communicating what matters.

Hiring top talent.

Resolving conflicts within my group.

your leaders know to quickly escalate to you whenever two goals come into conflict or when the priorities aren’t clear.

KNOW THE KIND OF TEAM YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CURRENT TEAM

NEVER STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT’S IMPORTANT

ALWAYS WALK THE WALK

CREATE THE RIGHT INCENTIVES

INVENT TRADITIONS THAT CELEBRATE YOUR VALUES

Personal prompts

“Fail of the week,”