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

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, this practical management guide 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 provides the essential leadership skills to empower anyone to be the best bosses they can be.

This guide provides the proven, step-by-step framework for becoming the manager your employees need:

• The Undermanagement Epidemic: Discover why the real crisis isn’t micromanagement, but a popular hands-off approach that frustrates employees and costs organizations a fortune.
• Performance Coaching: Master the art of talking about the work—giving clear, direct instructions that build rapport and drive results, not resentment.
• Real Accountability: Learn how to tie concrete actions to real consequences, making accountability a fair and transparent process instead of a source of conflict.
• Proactive Problem Solving: Find out how to identify and solve small issues before they fester and grow, eliminating the need for dreaded, high-stakes confrontations.

Bruce Tulgan is an adviser to business leaders all over the world and a sought-after speaker and seminar leader. He is the founder of Rainmaker-Thinking, Inc., a management training firm. Bruce is the author of the classic Managing Generation X as well as Winning the Talent Wars, and has written for the New York Times, USA Today, Harvard Business Review, and Human Resources. He lives with his wife, Dr. Debby Applegate, in New Haven, Connecticut, and Portland, Oregon.