What
I did
not learn
in
B-School
Insights for New Managers
Every year, top performers join management ranks in their companies. As they assume their new roles, managers often receive inadequate training on adopting the right mindsets and behaviors to succeed. Combining his experience as Founder and CEO of MAQ Software with research by leading management thinkers such as Peter Drucker and Henry Mintzberg, Rajeev Agarwal offers insights on key issues faced by managers, including:
- Motivating team members
- What does a manager do
- Why are we so busy
- How to delegate
- Training a team
- Providing feedback
- Retaining employees
- Does pay matter
Whether you are a recent MBA graduate or an aspiring manager, What I did not learn in B-School provides useful tools to set you on the path to managerial success.
Pages, loaded with insights for every manager and aspiring manager
Words spanning twelve chapters, including many useful tools and worksheets
References to a wide variety of authoritative works about business and life
Years of work gathering in-depth research, management tools, and practical advice
Foreword by Arjun Malhotra
Book Reviews
A fast and breezy read, you will enjoy the many examples, rules and chapter summaries that are provided to make it a handy reference for anyone keen to practice management lessons in their careers and their lives.
Endorsements
These endorsements are from industry leaders who were kind enough to share their thoughts on the book.
Advances in the software industry continue to accelerate at an astonishing pace. India has been at the forefront in helping companies worldwide implement software-driven innovations. With exciting advances in Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, and Mobile computing, the industry is challenged yet again to adapt quickly. More than ever, managers will play a critical role in developing and adopting new technologies. This book is an excellent guide full of useful insights for managers looking to stay ahead. Highly recommended!
This book takes the reader through the roller-coaster ride of a manager’s life, from hiring, retaining, and motivating teams, to managing time effectively while growing as an individual. The book demystifies this process with an assured touch and genuine sensitivity.
To build and scale a company, an entrepreneur needs to build a strong culture that is backed by a strong set of management practices. Rajeev does a fabulous job of providing useful tools in this book for entrepreneurs to use and keep in mind as they build teams and leaders. Using his personal experiences and observations, Rajeev has addressed critical issues without the usual buzzwords and complexity. I strongly recommend this book for every leader.
This authentic and inspiring book will help many young managers advance in their careers. Many leadership development departments will use this book to supplement their own training programs. A must-read for new managers to develop skills and to gain additional perspective on life in management.
This book will help new and aspiring managers develop the skills necessary to reach their full potential. The author has an approachable style and offers practical guidance that I think readers of all levels of experience will appreciate.
We shared the author’s first book, What I Did Not Learn at IIT, with our new engineers. The book helped them easily integrate into our company. I look forward to sharing the next book, What I Did Not Learn in B School, with our team leads and managers. I am certain that the insights in the new book will help our teams improve project execution and management.
Having evaluated thousands of engineers for the industry, we found that just a bit of counseling takes them much further in their career. This book should be a required reading for MBA programs. For MBA graduates, this book will act as a mentor and will provide them with useful tools. A great resource!
This engaging book will make a big difference for managers. The chapters in the book are so clear that even a person who is not into reading will be tempted to read the book.
Very practical and addresses real issues in our business. All managers should read the book to set realistic expectations for themselves and their teams.
Great leaders ask powerful questions! I cannot but help comment that the style of this book by Rajeev is like that of a great leader. Rajeev leads and draws you in through a series of questions. Most chapters are by way of questions (almost like a mentor in the form of printed words) and the answers are varied as well as contextual. Finally, Rajeev reflects on issues we constantly battle as we often lead with personal leadership styles, which may vary. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this rollercoaster ride into the world of management practice in one’s journey to lead.
Revenue growth and more importantly, sustained business growth is difficult and requires exceptional leadership. In order to scale a business, it is critical that the leadership team grow and develop. Using his experience from building a sustained growth company, the author shares insightful and important management practices that are supported by relevant research. To dominate their markets, business leaders should share this book with their management teams. A great contribution to the entrepreneurial community!
In my work with thousands of companies worldwide, very few scale up to any significant size. One practice that is essential across successful scale up companies is that they grow their leadership teams at multiple levels. This book is a great resource for growing leadership teams in sustained growth companies. As a Gazelles growth company, MAQ Software has implemented key management techniques explained in the book. I highly recommend this book to industry leaders to share with their teams to grow their businesses.
Managers play a critical role in the success of companies. For companies to win, significant investments in training and growth of managers is needed. This book will help new managers develop perspective on their organization, their role and their teams. I strongly recommend managers to review this book to gain valuable insights.
Key Takeaways
Know Your Organization
Managers’ roles vary depending on the size and structure of their organizations. Knowing your organization is a key to managerial success.
Know Your Style
Managers must work effectively with a variety of personality styles. Understanding your personality style as well as the personality styles of your peers and subordinates is crucial to managing effectively.
Manage Your Time
Mastering your time is accomplished by leading an integrated life. Integrated life views family, work, community, and health as part of the same picture, not as opposing forces.
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The author donates his proceeds from this book to support girls’ education in India.
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