The Making of a Manager

A Wall Street Journal Bestseller!

Now fully revised and updated in this paperback edition

Congratulations, you’re a manager!

After you pop the champagne, accept the shiny new title, and step into this thrilling next chapter of your career, the truth descends like a fog: You don’t really know what you’re doing


That’s exactly how Julie Zhuo felt when she became a rookie manager at the age of twenty-five. She stared at a long list of challenges—from hiring to firing, from meeting to messaging, from planning to pitching—and faced a thousand questions and uncertainties. How was she supposed to spin teamwork into value? How could she be a good steward of her reports’ careers? What was the secret to leading with confidence in new and unexpected situations?

Having now managed teams spanning tens of people to hundreds, Zhuo is ready to share the answers to all those questions, and more. The most important lesson of all? Great managers are made, not born. And if you’re reading this book, you’re already on your way to becoming a great manager.

In this revised and updated edition of The Making of a Manager, new managers will discover the transformative insights and practical examples that made the original an instant classic, along with essential new guidance for today’s challenges—including how to build trust and maintain morale during downturns and layoffs, and how to foster culture and connection while managing remote teams.

Whether you’re new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the manager you’ve always wanted.