Chapter Seven "Fire Your Boss: Leaders and Managers"

Chapter seven is over how to be a good leader and manager. Guiliano got a lot of advice from her mother. Her mother taught her a prime management principle “Don’t let fear be a barrier to achieving your ambitions or seizing opportunities.” She also taught her to ask herself “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” It became her mantra and served her well. She asked herself this question a lot. I find this to be good advice.

“One of the characteristics of a good leader is a calculated lack of fear that translates into making tough and even risky decisions and inspiring confidence”. Having good leadership skill can come naturally but you can always learn more. Guiliano learned lot of good leadership skills form what not to do by observing others- mostly men. There weren’t lot women role models that she could look up too.

To be a good leader you need to have great communications skills. You need to be able to communicate your ideas effectively and can motivate. Good leaders don’t complicate things. They keep the vision clear and simple. A good leader always builds loyalty and takes care of their employees. Your employees are very important. You need employees that are on the same page as the company and understand their purpose in the company or business. Showing them your loyalty, integrity and honesty is very important. Knowing your employee is key and showing them that they should be happy at work. Another thing to keep in mind is “knowing and accepting the leadership and management style of your boss. At the minimum, respecting it,if not loving it. Or find another boss.”

Managers are not the same things as leaders. Managers do a little leading but mostly manage people and outcome. The first principle in being a manager is hiring the right people. It’s the most important thing that the manager does. Always know the employees and make sure they have the right skills for your company or business. Managers keep everything together. I learned a lot in this chapter that can help anyone that wants to make the next big step up to management or a leader.