"But the biggest problem is that no one ever trained us how to be a good boss – or any sort of boss, for that matter", writes deputy managing editor of Fortune, Hank Gilman, in his very entertaining and perceptive book You Can't Fire Everyone: And Other Lessons from an Accidental Manager. The author describes, through acute observation and often bitter experience, how creative people are seldom taught how to be good managers; and the often questionable results speak for themselves.
You Can't Fire Everyone
Hank Gilman recognizes that the same skills that made him a very successful journalist, failed to equip him to manage other journalists and support staff. The author provides in often hilarious detail how he received on the job training as a manager. In effect, Hank Gilman became a manager by accident and circumstance. The job was never his by design or desire. Hank Gilman points out that very qualities that make for a great journalist, are exactly the opposite of the skills essential to managing successfully. For the author, a good journalist is very often a loner. A manager must have strong interpersonal skills. This disconnect of skills and personality, with the requirements of the managerial role, are the source of many problems for the accidental manager.
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