Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For

Title: Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For 

What is it? A Book

Author: William Gentry, the Director of Leadership Insights and Analytics and a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Creative Leadership.  

Who should read it? Anyone who has recently taken a new leadership role or is preparing to take a management position for the first time. The book is oriented towards people who have had professional success by being individual achievers/contributors, and because of that success, have been promoted. The book teaches the reader to “flip their script” in order to develop completely new outlooks, skills, and communication techniques that will serve them as a leader. 

Two Minute Skinny: Gentry opens the book by telling us that historically, we do a really bad job teaching new managers the skills they need to succeed as leaders. His research shows that new leaders that keep the same mindset and skillset of an individual contributor often fail in management, even though it was those skills and mindset that got them the management job in the first place. 

Gentry identifies six skill areas that need “flipped” or developed as workers transition from individual contributors to leaders: 

1. Mindset - Changing your perspective and goal-setting in order to avoid derailment 

2. Skillset - Improving your communication, observation, and perspective-taking skills

3. Relationships - Enhancing relationships with your team and creating positive influence

4. “Do-It-All Attitude” - Improving skills for managing conflict, giving feedback, and coaching 

5. Perspective - Developing the ability to politick and to “manage up” to your superiors

6. Focus - Maintaining integrity in decision-making and learning how and when to say “No” 

Throughout the book, Gentry drops some nice little knowledge bombs. These were some of my favorite nuggets that I was able to quickly and easily adapt into my work life:  

1. On motivating your team: Direction, Alignment and Commitment (DAC). Direction is making sure that everyone on your team agrees on what their common goal is and agrees that it is worthwhile. Alignment is ensuring that everyone understands and is in tune with their specific role on the team. Commitment speaks to each person’s loyalty and dedication to the team and goal. 

2. On motivating individuals: “The Platinum Rule.” Gentry takes The Golden Rule (“Treat others the way you want to be treated.”) one step further with The Platinum Rule, suggesting that we treat and motivate people the way THEY want to be treated. He encourages leaders to find out what motivates, excites, and inspires each of their employees and to use that knowledge in management and coaching. 

3. On giving feedback: Situation, Behavior, Impact (SBI) Model. As a leader, you are going to have to give negative feedback and constructive criticism. When you do that, make sure you relay the Situation, being specific about the time, place, and people present. Describe the employee’s Behavior in detail, without assigning value or judgement. Lastly, relay the Impact of the behavior, describing how you felt.

Example: Say “Monday morning at the 11:00am meeting in the boardroom, you spoke at the same time as the presenter going over the budget. I felt embarrassed.” instead of “You were rude at the meeting last week.”     

Best Quote(s): 

“Exceeding expectations and having a very special set of technical skills helps a person stand out from others and makes a high-performing employee, and possibly a kick-ass movie hero. It does not necessarily make a boss everyone wants to work for.”

“Doing your team’s work does not make the dream work.”

“Two things describe effective leaders: they get the job done and they are really good at relationships.”

“You will be confronted with questions every day that test your morals. The questions will get tougher, and the consequences will become more severe. Think carefully, and for your sake, do the right thing, not the easy thing.”

Rating/Is it worth your time?: This book has a lot of good knowledge and helpful, actionable tidbits of information in it. If you are a brand new leader, and became a new leader because you were a rockstar in your former position, I definitely think it’s worth your time. Your rockstar days are over my friend, and this book will help you prepare for that. Gentry gives questions and exercises for self-reflection at the end of each chapter that are good tools for emerging leaders as well as established leaders that mentor new leaders. Is it annoying when Gentry says “flip your script” about 50 million times in 150 pages? Yes. Is it still worth the read and shift in thinking? Also yes. 

Listen guys, I really don’t want to commit to reading this whole book: You can actually glean quite a bit of the same information without committing to reading the book (even though it really isn’t too long to begin with).

Check out the following resources instead: 

• Podcast: The TalentGrow Show (Episode 45): How to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For with William Gentry; 34 minutes; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_XnRpnCNsI

• Webinar: The Science and Practice to Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For (William Gentry & Jodie Charlop); 1 hour; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rW_DUR9ds5M

• William Gentry’s website has tons of information, activities, and printouts based on the information from the book. Check it out at www.williamgentryleads.com