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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 25. She stared at a long list of logistics--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?

Now, having managed dozens of teams spanning tens to hundreds of people, Julie knows the most important lesson of all: great managers are made, not born. If you care enough to be reading this, then you care enough to be a great manager.

The Making of a Manager is a modern field guide packed everyday examples and transformative insights, including:

* How to tell a great manager from an average manager
* When you should look past an awkward interview and hire someone anyway
* How to build trust with your reports through not being a boss
* Where to look when you lose faith and lack the answers

Whether you're new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the kind of manager you wish you had.

Reader Reviews

Steven Ritchie

(3/5)

Apr 02, 2025

This was a 3.5 book. There were a couple chapters I felt were quite valuable, and many that I had 0 notes for.

Abbey

(5/5)

4.5 stars! While I’m new to the world of management books, I really enjoyed this and tabbed it like crazy. I know I’ll be returning to this over the next several months, if not years. It’s inspiring and honest, motivational and exciting. Let’s do something great - after all, as Zhuo ends with, the journey is only 1% done.

Manuela Barcenas

I'd highly recommend reading Julie Zhuo's The Making of a Manager. It's the perfect resource for new managers and experienced managers looking to improve their leadership skills.Julie's style is clear, fun, and extremely relatable. I loved the examples she provides and the illustrations that go with them.The book covers topics such as:-The true definition of management-What to do during your first few months in the job-How to develop trust with your direct reports-How to prepare for meetings (an...

Samantha

I admit I wasn't aware of Julie Zhuo before hearing about this book but now I am her biggest fan! Zhuo is the VP, Product Design at Facebook, having successfully worked her way up the ranks. She first became a manager at 25 and wasn't sure where to start, what she should be doing and what she should NOT be doing! As you can imagine, she has learned a huge amount from this experience, especially her own mistakes. This book is a really approachable guide for managers, whether you are new or experi...

Jonathan Mckay

(4/5)

Julie Zhuo had a great career at Facebook starting from managing people at 25 to becoming the de-facto head of design for the entire company. Making of a Manager covers both the autobiographical aspects of how she started as a manager at Facebook, and adds in a few frameworks, learnings and anecdotes from the journey. Like the rest of Silicon Valley, Zhuo assumes a given set of cultural norms, and much of her advice ends up being applicable only to flatter tech-centric organizations. Books like

Sharry Lu

Learned a lot from the book. Feels like having a personal mentor. The author is frank and humble in her writing, allowing me to learn from failures and mistakes.Notes:- a manager: get better outcome of a group of people thru influencing purpose people and process -to measure a manager: 1/2 is on teams results did u achieve goals (present outcome). 1/2 is on strength and satisfaction of team (future outcome) -- 3 things managers think about all day: - 1) purpose (the why) - everyone should belie...

Elina

Could find lot of advices in this book for myself. Enjoyed book simpliest way how to talk about important things.

Aksel Nooitgedagt

Very good book for me on my current career stage. Gives a lot of guidance on how to deal with different management topic coming up in a tech company as ours. I found the book to be pretty practical as it gives concrete advices on topics like: hiring, staffing, what should be the main goal of a manager, feedback, 1:1, how to organize meetings and more.Highly recommendable if you are a manager in a tech company. However, the book is mostly intended for middle managers - there is nothing about CEO

Sebastian Gebski

Very solid stuff (4.5+ stars). Its initial chapters start very "soft" - I'd even say - focus on more psychological aspects of the role, but the further the better.The best chapter is definitely no 8 ("Making Things Happen") - Julie Zhuo perfectly (IMHO) captures the idea of effectiveness & pragmatism in goal-oriented organisations.Keep in mind that it's a book by a manager from Facebook, but it's not really about Facebook or its culture. Some characters are mentioned but there are no "insider st...

Anitajt

Every now and then I read a book that inspires me, this book is written in a very readable, honest and frank way. The paragraph I will take away with me is; ‘Learning how to be a great leader means learning about your superpowers and flaws, learning how to navigate the obstacles in your head, and learning how to learn. With these tools comes the confidence that you’re meant to be just as you are - no masks or pretences needed and that you are ready for whatever challenges lie ahead’.A must for e...

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

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

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