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

274 Pages·2019·10.39 MB·english

by  Julie Zhuo

Praise for
The Making of a Manager
“When you’re first made a manager, typically two things are true. One, you really don’t want to be like one
of those bad managers you’ve suffered under. And two, you’ve got no map on how to avoid becoming one
of those self-same bad managers. But now you do. Use this wise, practical book to master purpose, people,
and process, and speed toward being a great manager right from the start.”
—Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit
“I wish I’d had this book when I started managing a team at Instagram. Julie covers the full range of
becoming a manager, from your first meetings with your team to accomplishing huge goals together.”
—Mike Krieger, cofounder of Instagram
“Julie Zhuo had to learn to be a manager fast, as her role kept expanding in the hyper-growth environment
of a successful Silicon Valley startup. In The Making of a Manager, she shares what she learned—often, the
hard way. She combines cutting-edge analysis of how organizations work with engaging and accessible
examples of how theory plays out in real life, with stories of what she did right and wrong.”
—Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project
“At startups, individuals asked to manage are rarely set up for success. Julie Zhuo gives new managers the
tools they need to help their people and company win.”
—Sam Altman, president of YCombinator and cochairman of OpenAI
“Julie Zhuo’s new book is a welcome remedy to the often anachronistic Drucker-isms that are still used in
organizations today. Her practical advice covers everything from coaching, hiring, meeting, relating,
speaking, and even how to become a better human being. Her book is certain to ease the pain of any new, or
seasoned, manager who seeks to understand the new rules of business in an age where technology affords
infinite communication while making it especially challenging to get your team members’ attention.”
—John Maeda, global head of Computational Design + Inclusion at Automattic Inc.
“Julie Zhuo worked her way up from intern to vice president of product design at Facebook with
intelligence, humor, self-awareness, and a tireless commitment to improve her teams and herself. The
Making of a Manager is her playbook, and whether you’re an exec or a rookie, you’d be nuts not to read it.”
—Jake Knapp, author of Sprint
“The Making of a Manager is an excellent, approachable, and comprehensive guide for those making the
transition into management. This is something we’d give out to new managers at Slack and it could very
well set a new standard for new managers.”
—Stewart Butterfield, CEO and cofounder of Slack
“I’ve seen so many people thrust into management in high-growth companies with so little guidance. From
now on, I will hand them this book. Its practical wisdom is immediately useful for the newly minted
manager—and us old ones.”
—Ev Williams, CEO of Medium and cofounder of Twitter
“As an entrepreneur and CEO, I’ve read all of the business books, but this is one I’ll be turning to again and
again as a reference for how to help my team thrive. It’s a leadership manifesto for a startup, global mega-
company, or anything in between.”
—Brit Morin, founder and CEO of Brit + Co
“Are you a new manager? Are you a little scared? Fear not. Julie Zhuo is here to help. She took on a
manager position at one of the biggest startups of our generation before she felt quite ready, but she grew
into the job. And now she’s here to guide you as you grow into the job. By focusing on three big leadership
themes—Purpose, People, and Process—she puts the emphasis right where it should be for the greatest
success and satisfaction. This book will get you on the right track and keep you there.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author of When and Drive
“Every business book I read as a consultant and later as a CEO was written by a man. Julie brings an
entirely fresh perspective on leadership as a brilliant hacker, first-generation American, and young mother.
This book is everything Silicon Valley appreciates in Julie: humble, inspiring, and whip-smart.”
—Leila Janah, CEO and founder of Samasource and LXMI, and author of Give Work
“Julie is like that friend giving you some much-needed tips over coffee—her style cuts through industry
jargon and gets at the heart of how to lead with confidence and help your team do their best work.”
—Nir Eyal, author of Hooked
“Julie does an incredible job simplifying the role of a manager. She pulls you in with all the awkward,
funny, and tough moments of being a first-time manager, and then takes you on an engaging journey. She
sets forth a crystal-clear playbook of how to drive impact and get the most out of your teams. If you’re a
first-time manager, you’ll learn how to hit the ground running, and experienced managers will level-up their
game!”
—Logan Green, CEO and cofounder of Lyft
THE MAKING
OF A
MANAGER

Portfolio/Penguin
An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
penguinrandomhouse.com
Copyright © 2019 by Julie Zhuo
Illustrations by Pablo Stanley
Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Names: Zhuo, Julie, author.
Title: The making of a manager : what to do when everyone looks to you / Julie Zhuo.
Description: New York : Portfolio/Penguin, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018041569 (print) | LCCN 2018042422 (ebook) | ISBN 9780735219571
(Ebook) | ISBN 9780735219564 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780525540427 (international edition)
Subjects: LCSH: Zhuo, Julie. | Executive ability. | Teams in the workplace—Management. |
Management. | Leadership. | Women executives—United States.
Classification: LCC HD38.2 (ebook) | LCC HD38.2 .Z48 2019 (print) | DDC 658.4/09--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018041569
Penguin is committed to publishing works of quality and integrity. In that spirit, we are proud to
offer this book to our readers; however, the story, the experiences, and the words are the author’s
alone.
This book reflects the author’s personal opinions, and do not represent the views of her employer.
Version_2
To Mike, with whom I manage this beautiful life
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Introduction
Great Managers Are Made, Not Born
Chapter One
What Is Management?
Chapter Two
Your First Three Months
Chapter Three
Leading a Small Team
Chapter Four
The Art of Feedback
Chapter Five
Managing Yourself
Chapter Six
Amazing Meetings
Chapter Seven
Hiring Well
Chapter Eight
Making Things Happen
Chapter Nine
Leading a Growing Team
Chapter Ten
Nurturing Culture
Epilogue
The Journey Is 1% Finished
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
Introduction
Great Managers Are Made, Not Born