Author: Lindsey Pollak
Synopsis |
Becoming the Boss (2014) is a practical book that will show leaders of all kinds how to identify the pitfalls as well as the unexpected hurdles that will test their mettle. It is a unique synthesis of personal narrative and expert advice. From how to manage your relationships to how to deal with the politics of power and influence, you will learn everything. |
Detailed Summary of Becoming The Boss
We’ve all felt the pain of being a leader, especially the emotional pain. The feeling of someone’s success is a failure. That gnawing sense of inadequacy and fear that you’ve made the wrong choice. We feel that pain in every aspect of our lives – as partners, parents, students, leaders, and people in authority.
The world of work is no longer what it used to be. Technology, globalization, cultural diversity, and social media have upended traditional hierarchies. These changes have also brought with them a need for more leaders—leaders who can think independently, shape the future, and hold each other accountable to their highest ideals.
The author describes how introverts can communicate as effectively as extroverts, how to become a better coach, how important it is to embrace change—not merely manage it—and why it is critical for leaders to be smart and wise.
Readers will also learn how to deal with the temptations of power: how to avoid becoming an organizational bully, and why leaders must be especially careful about using anger and humor.
You might also like to read The Design of Everyday Things Summary.
Becoming The Boss Summary Key Points
We all want to succeed. We all want to advance, and we all want to get ahead. But between the desire and the achievement, there are a host of obstacles that can get in the way. Becoming the boss’s key points guide you through the most common pitfalls and how to overcome them.
Are you ready to dig into the detail? Let’s get started.
To become a good Leader, Learn to Lead Yourself First
It is so easy to get caught up in the daily grind. You need to be capable of making long-term decisions for your company. For this reason, you must make sure you have what it takes to lead yourself.
When you want to become a great leader, don’t waste your time reading other people’s opinions. Instead, go out and read the best books out there on leadership. Look at the books that have stood the test of time, even if that means picking old copies of books and reading them on your Kindle. Even if you’ve already read the book, reread it.
As a leader at a company, you are responsible for teaching the employees how to lead themselves if they want to become great leaders.
Preparation is the best way to start. You need to know what you’re going to do before you can begin. Too many people rush in and find themselves deep in a hole. If you don’t have a clue about what you’re doing, how will you know how to plan for it?
Honest self-reflection is vital if you wish to accomplish your goals. You must be brutally honest with yourself. You cannot help others until you have helped yourself.
Research is one of the most important parts of preparation. It may feel like taking time away from your primary goal, but considering the time and energy you’ll have saved if you use the right tools, it’s worth the time investment.
Develop Communication Skills to Influence others
Effective communication in any aspect of your life is always a work in progress. But it’s a skill that can be learned, and we can all improve how we communicate with others.
When you use these strategies, you will influence others. People will listen to you, be interested in your words, and trust you. You will influence others best when your communication skills are excellent. Of course, communication skills alone do not make you a good leader.
As a leader, it’s important to be open and receptive to the needs of your followers. If you’re lost in what you need to improve all the time, you won’t be receptive to their needs. This can lead to two problems: You become distracted from your team’s needs, and you perceive that nobody needs or wants you as a leader.
Communication is one of the most important skills you have to develop and build when working with people. There are two aspects, the first is being able to express yourself, and the second is being receptive to what others want. If you’re not taking the time to understand their needs, your communication won’t be effective.
Remember your Team worker’s name and Knowledge to Answer the Difficult questions
One of the first advice articles is to remember people’s names and use them when speaking with them. The reason for this is simple: it’s an excellent persuasion tool. If you remember a person’s name, it creates a much stronger connection between the two of you, so they’re more likely to be more receptive to your message.
So how do we do this? Well, there are three main steps for remembering names:
- Make eye contact
- Listen
- Repeat
The second very important thing is to know the answers to questions. Prepare yourself to be able to take unexpected questions, not knowing the answer to them, but If you don’t know, then that’s okay! You are not a robot. You’re human!
You just have to keep responding politely and professionally, whether they’re simple questions or difficult questions. And you can rely on your team and ask them, “what do you think of that? Should I go this route? What is the best angle? So, it’s not about you trying to know everything; it’s about you having a good plan to answer any questions.
Becoming the Boss Book Summary Quotes
“When I asked for her best motivational tip, she shared a single sentence she uses with her employees. Whenever she assigns a project, she says, “Make it as awesome as you want.” Lindsey Pollak
“How well you are capable of leading other people begins, first and foremost, with how well you lead yourself.” Lindsey Pollak
Becoming the Boss Book Summary Review
If you want to know the best ways to lead yourself and your team, there is no better book than Becoming the Boss, as it teaches you how to face every problem you will ever face. I would surely recommend the book as there are many things I also learned while writing the summary.
To whom would I recommend Becoming the Boss summary?
- Anyone having difficulty in communication.
- Anyone who wants to start his business but still but he is in the research stage.
- Anyone wants to learn to lead a team in a better way.
Link: https://amzn.to/3PZ9SHE