Business Book Summaries

Great managers are those who first effectively manage themselves. Self-awareness, introspection, and thoughtful planning and action in all aspects of life are what enable a manager to effectively lead others. HBR’s 10 Must Reads On Managing Yourself invites managers to take a “critical look in the mirror” in their quests for professional success and personal fulfillment. Only then can managers take deliberate steps to manage their lives to maximize their talents, make contributions in everything they do, and become inspirational leaders and better human beings.

The ultimate goal in managing oneself is to make a valuable contribution to the world while creating a life of purpose and fulfillment. Managers who manage themselves first:

1. Deliberately choose a life path: A purposeful life is created first through introspection and next by using basic business model fundamentals.
2. Know themselves well: Success comes from knowing one’s strengths, personal styles, and values and then applying them where they can make the greatest contribution.
3. Know when to say “yes” and when to say “no:” Managers’ time is often unnecessarily taken up by responsibilities that belong to their subordinates. By knowing how to redirect requests for help back to subordinates, managers can greatly increase their discretionary time.
4. Develop resilience: Resilience is increasingly a core competency in the corporate world. Resilient people accept the realities of life, are driven by meaningfulness, and are great at improvising.
5. Manage their energy: Having consistent energy, rather than more time, is the key to effectiveness.
6. Practice Total Leadership: People are at their best and feel most fulfilled when they are performing well in all aspects of their lives: work, home, community, and self.
7. “Own” their jobs: Owning one’s job comes through effectively managing demands, generating resources, and recognizing and exploiting alternatives.
8. Know how to tap the “fundamental state of leadership:” The “fundamental state of leadership” is a psychological condition in which managers are at their best–drawing on their own capabilities and values to lead in a compelling way.
9. Continually self-assess: Even the best managers make mistakes and lose sight of their paths. Self-assessment and changes in behavior can put an off-track manager back on track.
10. Possess emotional intelligence: Managers who understand and leverage the emotional component in the workplace model the behavior they want to see and treat people as whole beings.

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Related book summaries in the BBS library: The Charge, Reinventing You, All In