Customer Reviews

How to Become a Great Boss: The Rules For Getting and Keeping the Best Employees

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Recently, I read HOW TO BECOME A RAINMAKER: THE RULES
FOR GETTING AND KEEPING CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS by
Jeffrey J. Fox . . . it was one of the best business books that I have come across in a long time.

So when I came across an earlier book by Fox--HOW TO BECOME
A GREAT BOSS: THE RULES FOR GETTING AND KEEPING THE
BEST EMPLOYEES--I just had to get hold of it . . . and I did, getting the chance to listen to the taped version . . . I'm glad I did, too; it's another winner!

Fox presents nothing brilliantly new, but he writes in a clear and readable fashion . . . in doing so, he presents lots of ideas that you can immediately apply to almost any management
situation . . . he also makes it clear that management involves
just about anything that we do, and a result, we should perhaps
think of many folks as "managers" that might not ordinarily
fit into that category (I'm thinking parents here, for example).

In particular, I liked his following "Great Boss Simple Success
Formula":
1. Only hire top-notch, excellent people.
2. Put the right people in the right job. Weed out the wrong people.
3. Tell the people what needs to be done.
4. Tell the people why it is needed.
5. Leave the job up to the people you've chosen to do it.
6. Train the people.
7. Listen to the people.
8. Remove frustration and barriers that fetter the people.
9. Inspect progress.
10. Say "Thank you" publicly and privately.

Fox has written several other books, some of which I have reviewed. He continues to display a unique talent for focusing on a key point and then expressing it clearly and concisely. Unlike many other business authors, Fox may re-examine certain themes (e.g. appropriate mindsets for a decision-maker) but almost never recycles material. That is especially true of this volume in which he shares feedback for a rather long list of executives who are listed in the "Contributors" section. Many years ago, Sir Isaac Newton observed that "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." That is not to suggest that Fox is a a midget; rather, to suggest that he is an active and receptive student of those who -- in this instance -- are all great "bosses." A brief word about "boss." Obviously, few executives become a CEO but all executives -- directly or indirectly -- can have a profound impact on those for whom they are responsible. In this volume, Fox suggests what a "great boss" is...and isn't. He also explains why.

He organizes his material within 50 brief but insightful chapters, followed by an "Epilogue," a series of personal statements by various senior-level executives which compellingly illustrate how and why "Great Bosses Beget Great Bosses." The inverse is also true: "Ineffective Bosses Beget Ineffective Bosses." For example, on a scale of 1-10, a 6 or 7 boss never hires a 9 or 10. Moreover, my own experience suggests that if and when a 6 or 7 inadvertently hires a 9 or 10 (or one with the capabilities to become one), the 6 or 7 either runs the 9 or 10 off or ensures that the development of that promising person is suppressed. "Great bosses" are never threatened by a 9 or 10. On the contrary, they only hire the best and the brightest. Fox urges his reader to spend supervisory time with the best people because "the top 10-20% of the employees [in any organization] deliver 70-80% of the results."

Obviously, I think very highly of this slim but informative book. Those who share my high regard for it are urged to check out Buckingham and Coffman's First, Break All the Rules; Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee's Primal Leadership; Maister's Practice What You Preach; O'Toole's The Executive's Compass; Whyte's The Heart Aroused; and finally, Bossidy and Charan's Execution: The Discipline of Getting Results.

This book is different from most business books in two ways:
One, it is readable, two, it is a gem. The first chapter alone is worth the price. I am prompted to write this review
to correct an earlier review which claims Mr. Fox has a big ego because the word "I" is used so often. The word "I" is not used even once by Mr. Fox. It does appear in the epilogue which is a collection of terrific quotes from great bosses. Take one hour and read this superb and important little book.

Often in books like this, as you are reading the rules, you may think to yourself "well duh" but often we forget that the combination of the rules that Mr. Fox is recommending can really make a difference. Reading this book helped me to see what it was about my really great bosses that make them great. It also helped me to see where the shortcomings have been. As I continue to gain more responsibility, many of the rules in Mr. Fox's book will help me to keep focused. The section on the "D's" that need to be caught in employees helped me to determine a better solution for dealing with a recently problematic employee. I highly recommend taking the short time to read through this book!

Anybody who truly wants to be the right kind of leader will pay very close attention to the pearls of wisdom written by Mr. Fox. As with his previous books Mr. Fox not only provides a no-nonsense guide on how to succeed in the business world, but more importantly he shows us how to do it with honor and integrity. He makes it very clear that a real boss is first and foremost a teacher that guides his/her employees to be proud of their company and it's product by striving for excellence. I recommend this book, as well as all of Mr. Fox's other books, to those individuals that have decided not to accept mediocrity as a lifestyle. It's first-class reading, pure and simple.

Jeffrey Fox, author and founder of Fox & Co., a premier marketing consulting firm in CT, defines a great boss as one that can stir and motivate individuals to increase organizational performance. Fox's success strategies include hiring the right talent with the right attitude to strengthen the organization's gene pool and suggests ways to keep the employees fired up.
Fox provides illustrations showing that employees model behaviors of their boss. For example, if the boss appears disinterested in customer retention, soon this phenomenon will engulf the entire organization. Great bosses must appear energetic and vigorous in order to attract employees with the same high mental and physical energy needed for competitive advantages.
Accountability must start with the boss. Everyone in a great organization knows who the under performers are. Great bosses try to groom all employees. However, if there is no positive return on the efforts after a period of time, the great boss makes the hard decision to terminate (with dignity) mediocre/incompetent performers who add no value to the growth and success of the organization. Using the stock market as an example, the author shows that a great boss knows the better returns come by spending the bulk of their coaching time with the highest performers. The author provides some great time examples.
Fox provides readers with suggestions regarding `buy in' strategies of those individuals who have been outstanding performers but their skill sets are no longer needed. For example, Mickey Mantle overstayed his time. Mantle's lifetime batting average was .299, however, if Mantle had not played that last year, he would have had a lifetime average of .300.
Great bosses learn from mistakes, are principled, and are team builders, do not fear talent. They seek suggestions/different perspectives, let people do their jobs and seek to learn from their employees in order to grow the organization. Great bosses learn from complaints of disgruntled employees/customers by listening with respect, evaluating the message and considering complaints as `gifts' of new perspectives/knowledge. Just as great athletes continue to learn of their weak areas, great bosses discipline themselves to learn every day and reward employees who grow intellectually as well.
The book provides readers tips/strategies on being a great boss which results in employees, the boss and the organization all emerging as winners.

How To Become A Great Boss is a book of rules and anecdotes. It's easy to read - in fact it only took me about 2 hours from cover to cover. All the rules mentioned by Jeffrey J. Fox are appropriate and if applied, would work well for all bosses. Now there's the rub - "if applied". There is no suggestion in How To Become A Great Boss as to how one might apply these rules, merely a description of the rule and an anecdote to illustrate.

I liken How To Become A Great Boss to a New Year's resolution - fine, valid and admirable on the 1st of January, but forgotten by the 31st!

If you are looking for a reminder of what makes a great boss, then this book may appeal. If you are looking to find out "how to" become a great boss, then this book falls short of the mark. There's a place for vicarious learning, but not in such an important topic as management.

Bob Selden, author of What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers

I just want to say I always came in late at my job and give litte attention to my job performance. But after listening to this book everything change and now I come to work early and get along with the boss better! Now I see it from the boss point of view I feel I am improving my work ethincs !
Everyone to stay on top of your game at work buy this book!

This book is a really easy-to-read, practical book for those who want some fun ideas on how to share leadership qualities with managers or up and coming leaders in your organization.

It offers easy to understand philosophies and concepts that you don't have to read the whole book to understand. Pick a chapter and review it on your work team. Its benefits will be enormous!

"How to Become a Great Boss" is simple to read and allows you to formalize what you might already know. Many of the ideas/suggestions are instinctual characteristics of a good manager that Fox puts into words for all to understand.

Very straight-forward tips. When finished reading the short chapters you get the message and have an idea on how to apply in real life.

One of the best books I have read since becoming a Manager. Cuts through the BS and gives you direct advice.