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You’re the Boss

Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)

Sabina Nawaz

Simon & Schuster, 2025

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Executive coach Sabina Nawaz understands that the skills that helped you climb to the top may not be the ones you need to stay there. Drawing upon her extensive experience advising C-level executives and high-performing teams, Nawaz explains how “power gaps” and “pressure pitfalls” can push even well-meaning leaders into bad behavior. Applying Nawaz’s practical tools, such as the “Time Portfolio,” the “Delegation Dial,” the “Trigger Spotter,” and many more, can help you become and stay the boss you and your team need.

Summary

The game changes when you become an authority figure.

When you become an authority figure in the workplace, you embark upon a new game with new rules. The skills that helped you achieve a leadership position won’t keep you there. Team performance — not personal excellence — now determines success, requiring a mindset shift from competition to collaboration.

When you’re a leader, your team looks to you for protection, order, and direction. They will scrutinize your every word and action for hidden meanings. Your jokes will seem funnier, your ideas more brilliant, and your team will seek to connect with you on a personal level by learning details about your life. Instead of trying to avoid the spotlight, learn to manage it.

Recognize how power can distort your perceptions.

Bosses control salaries, promotions, and career opportunities, creating an unequal power dynamic between them and their teams. A certain distance between leaders and their direct reports is natural. However, when the “Power Gap” grows too wide, your perception of yourself can become distorted. You might think you’re leading brilliantly when, in fact, you’re merely insulated ...

About the Author

Sabina Nawaz is a keynote speaker and executive coach to Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and academic institutions. Formerly, she led Microsoft’s succession planning and executive development efforts.

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You’re the Boss

Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)

Read offline

Editorial Rating

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Recommendation

Summary

The game changes when you become an authority figure.

Recognize how power can distort your perceptions.

About the Author

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