Zhuo - The Making of a Manager

Praise for

The Making of a Manager

When youre first made a manager, typically two things are true. One, you really dont want to be like one of those bad managers youve suffered under. And two, youve 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 Id 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 learnedoften, 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 Zhuos 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 youre an exec or a rookie, youd 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 wed 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

Ive 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 managerand us old ones.

Ev Williams, CEO of Medium and cofounder of Twitter

As an entrepreneur and CEO, Ive read all of the business books, but this is one Ill be turning to again and again as a reference for how to help my team thrive. Its 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 shes here to guide you as you grow into the job. By focusing on three big leadership themesPurpose, People, and Processshe 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 coffeeher 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 youre a first-time manager, youll learn how to hit the ground running, and experienced managers will level-up their game!

Logan Green, CEO and cofounder of Lyft

Portfolio/Penguin

An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

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Copyright 2019 by Julie Zhuo

Illustrations by Pablo Stanley

Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

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 workplaceManagement. | Management. | Leadership. | Women executivesUnited 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 authors alone.

This book reflects the authors personal opinions, and do not represent the views of her employer.

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To Mike, with whom I manage this beautiful life

THE MYTH

THE REALITY