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

by Julie Zhuo

The best idea generation comes from understanding that we need both time to think alone (because our brains are most creative when we’re by ourselves) and time to engage with others (because hearing different perspectives creates sparks that lead to even better ideas).

Since every hire is already a gamble, reject any weak hires. While they’re not likely to bomb, they’re also not likely to add much.

If a candidate gets mixed reviews but all the interviewers that said hire are adamant about wanting to work with her, it’s usually a sign that she brings something highly valued to the table.

bad leadership hires are disproportionately more disruptive because they affect more people.

“If I could only achieve one goal, which would it be?”

Effort doesn’t count; results are what matter.

Keep in mind the planning fallacy:6 our natural bias to predict that things will take less time and money than they actually do.

From your target date, work backward and figure out who needs to do what every week. Ask people to set and publicly commit to their weekly goals—this creates accountability. Periodic reviews can also be a good way to sustain momentum.

take perfect execution over perfect strategy any day.

By taking this portfolio approach, her team balances making constant improvements to their core features while casting an eye toward the horizon. Over the past decade, they’ve shown that this strategy works:

the hardest part has been learning how to effectively delegate,

“Try to double your leadership capacity every year.”

The rule of thumb for delegation goes like this: 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.

if you want your team to operate with utter focus and zero distractions, you might prefer they sit in a remote area and avoid interacting with other groups. But if the broader company values openness and collaboration, your preference would be hard to achieve.

When you value something deeply, don’t shy away from talking about it. Instead, embrace telling people why it’s important to you.

People watch their bosses closely to understand the team’s values and norms.

We will build something that will outlast us, that will be made stronger by all who become a part of it.