The Best Management Book for New Managers (Especially If They’re Drowning)
You just promoted your best groomer to team lead. Or your senior physio to practice manager. Or your top mechanic to workshop supervisor.
And now they’re struggling.
Not because they’re incapable – but because managing people is a completely different job than doing the work. And nobody showed them how.
If that sounds familiar, Julie Zhuo’s “The Making of a Manager” should be the first book they read. Here’s why – and how to actually use it in your business.
Who This Book Is For
- You’ve just promoted someone and they’re overwhelmed
- You’re a new manager wondering “am I doing this right?”
- Your team keeps coming to you for every decision
- You need practical frameworks, not corporate theory
- You want help that works for small teams (not Fortune 500s)
What Surprised Me Most
The permission to be a “learner manager.” Zhuo openly shares her mistakes and uncertainties – which is refreshing when most management books pretend the author was born knowing how to lead.
For local business managers who feel like they’re making it up as they go? That’s incredibly validating.
The Core Idea: Stop Being the Hero
Zhuo’s framework is simple: your job isn’t to be the best “doer” anymore, it’s to get better outcomes through others by shaping three levers: purpose, people, and process.
If you keep jumping in to save the day, the team never learns and you never get your time back.
Use it on your shop floor:
Purpose (Why): Write a one-sentence standard everyone can remember.
- Salon: “Every client gets a consultation before we start – no exceptions.”
- Vet clinic: “Every pet owner leaves knowing exactly what happens next.”
- Mechanic shop: “Every quote includes a clear timeline and what to expect.”
People (Who): Make 1:1s about removing blockers and coaching confidence, not status updates.
Process (How): Turn “the way we do things” into one-page SOPs with photos. Start with opening/closing, handovers, and complaints.
The First 90 Days: Don’t Fix Everything at Once
New managers shouldn’t try to solve every problem immediately. Zhuo recommends spending your first stretch listening, building trust, then making a few visible improvements that matter.
Try this:
Weeks 1-2: 30-minute 1:1s with each team member. Ask: “What slows us down? What’s one change that would help?”
Weeks 3-4: Fix one friction point (laminated opening checklist, clearer break policy).
Weeks 5-12: Introduce one simple SOP per week; train it in a 10-minute huddle and spot-check the next week.
Why 1:1s Matter More Than You Think
Zhuo treats 1:1s as the primary tool to build trust, surface blockers, and grow people – not a status interrogation. Keep them regular, focused, and human.
Simple 20-minute template:
- Wins since last time
- Top 2 priorities this week
- Blockers I can remove
- Feedback both ways
- One growth step (skill to practice next)
Tip: If weekly feels like micromanaging for stable roles, try bi-weekly – but keep them consistent and meaningful.
Feedback That Actually Lands
Fast, specific feedback tied to behaviors and outcomes – easier when it’s normal and expected.
Use the SBI framework:
Situation: “Yesterday’s 3pm rush…”
Behavior: “…we skipped the greeting checklist.”
Impact: “…two clients left unhappy and one complained online.”
Close with a clear next step and follow up in the next 1:1.
Meetings That Don’t Waste Time
Good meetings have a decider, the fewest people needed, and decisions captured, critical for small teams where every minute counts.
Two that work:
Daily 7-minute huddle: Today’s priorities → Risks → Who needs help
Weekly 25-minute ops meeting: Yesterday’s KPI snapshot (wait times, rework, reviews) → One improvement topic → Decisions on the whiteboard (photo and post)
Managing Former Peers (Common in Small Teams)
Zhuo addresses the identity shift head-on: be transparent, fair, and standards-based. You’re there to enable, not to be “one of the crew.”
Say it out loud:
“My role now is to clear blockers and raise the bar for the whole team. You’ll see me coaching more and stepping in less – so you can step up more.”
Management Is Learnable (Good News)
Zhuo’s most encouraging message: great managers are made, not born. Adopt a growth mindset, seek diverse perspectives, and create a team where people feel safe to speak up.
If you’re a new manager feeling lost, this is your reminder: you’re not supposed to know everything. You’re supposed to keep learning.
How to Actually Read This Book (For Busy Managers)
Don’t try to read it cover-to-cover while running your business.
Week 1: Chapters 1-3 (your role, first 90 days)
Week 2: Chapter 4 (meetings) + implement the huddle template
Week 3: Chapter 5 (1:1s) + use the agenda this week
Week 4: Chapters 6-7 (feedback + hiring)
One chapter per week. Implement as you go. That’s how it sticks.
What This Book Won’t Do
❌ It won’t fix a fundamentally broken business model.
❌ It won’t make difficult conversations easy (just easier).
❌ It won’t work if you don’t actually implement anything.
But if you’re willing to try the frameworks, adjust them to your reality, and practice consistently?
This book will change how you lead.
Final Take
If you’ve recently moved from “doing the work” to “leading the people doing the work” – or you’ve just promoted someone who’s now drowning – this book is well worth reading..
It’s not corporate fluff. It’s practical, empathetic, and maps directly to the realities of running a salon, clinic, workshop, or studio where consistency, speed, and care all matter.
I wish I’d read this 20 years ago. But if you’re reading it now, you’re already ahead of where I was.
Start with purpose, people, and process. Lock in your first 90 days. Make 1:1s and SOPs your new normal.
Your future self – and your team – will thank you.
Get the book: The Making of a Manager on Amazon Australia
Building a team that runs without you? Join the waitlist for The Local Edge – where service business owners get the frameworks, SOPs, and peer support to systemize operations and develop strong teams.
