Manage Yourself to Lead Others

What is the “best” way to lead others? The answer may surprise you.

The basis for powerful, effective leadership comes from within—from understanding the people, ideas, and events that have shaped your worldview and how these influences express themselves in your leadership style. In Manage Yourself to Lead Others, leadership expert Margaret Andrews helps you understand yourself and translate this understanding into effectively managing yourself, leading others, working with your boss, and making better decisions.

Andrews has taught thousands of executives in her professional development course at Harvard, and she shares her insights, practical tips, and questions for reflection here. This book will allow you to identify the kind of leader you want to be, the behavioral patterns that help get you there or stand in your way, and what it takes to develop new leadership capabilities. Whether you’ve just been promoted or you’ve been leading a team for decades, Manage Yourself to Lead Others is essential reading for all leaders.  

• “There is a reason that Margaret Andrews’s executive program is the most popular professional development program at Harvard. Once you read Manage Yourself to Lead Others, you’ll understand why.”
   
  Morra Aarons-Mele, author of The Anxious Achiever
• "Margaret Andrews delivers the leadership playbook we should have gotten years ago. Insightful, honest, and refreshingly practical, this book turns self-understanding into real-world impact.”
  Dorie Clark, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Long Game
• “You can’t possibly manage others well if you can’t manage yourself. How can you make sure that the authority you get when you become a manager doesn’t lead to self-dysregulation? Andrews offers practical, tactical tips to help you stay good as you become great.”
  Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor
•  “Margaret Andrew’s book is both a practical ‘How-To’ workbook and a powerful best practices guide. Had I read it at the beginning of my career, it would have dramatically shortened my learning curve and helped me become a stronger leader much sooner. If you’re serious about elevating your leadership skills and accelerating your career, this is the book you’ve been looking for.”
   
  Mitchell Roberts, co-founder and CEO, PR Restaurants LLC/Panera Bread
• “Smart, actionable, and refreshingly clear, Manage Yourself to Lead Others is a masterclass in how to lead with credibility, composure, and confidence. Margaret Andrews delivers the kind of real-world insight that turns competent professionals into trusted leaders—and fast-tracks careers in the process.”
   
  Michael Port, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Steal the Show
• “Margaret Andrews taught the best class I had in Harvard. The wisdom and examples collected over the nearly two decades she’s taught the class is presented in this easy-to-read, yet thought provoking, practical book. A must-read for anyone who inspires to be a more effective leader, whether in the C-suite or daily in the clinic.”
   
  Michelle Lau, medical oncologist and clinical assistant professor, University of Arizona
• “Manage Yourself to Lead Others gets at the heart of leadership development by grounding it in one’s personal experiences and values. The approach will resonate powerfully with anyone going through a career inflection point, or seeking to navigate complex organizations armed with their own authentic leadership style.”
   
  Dr. Stanley Shaw, associate vice president, Amgen
• “In Manage Yourself to Lead Others, Margaret Andrews has created a practical guide to helping each of us become the leader that only we can be.”
   
  Dave Power, CEO, Perkins
• “Margaret Andrews challenges you to rethink and redefine what it means to be a leader. Get ready to dive deep and unleash your inner potential in a transformative journey of self-understanding and self-creation!”
  Dr. Nerijus Pacesa, professor, ISM University of Management and Economics
• “Manage Yourself to Lead Others is a highly readable and practical guide for how functional experts can transform themselves into effective leaders. It shows that the keys to great leadership come from deepened awareness of ourselves and how we impact those we work with. Through a series of manageable exercises and meaningful examples, it shows why leaders need these skills and how they can work to improve them. I recommend the book to all current and aspiring leaders.”
   
  Paul Healy, James R. Williston professor of business administration, Harvard Business School
• “As a student of intercultural leadership, this important and very readable book reinforced and expanded my beliefs that leadership across different cultures starts with a deep understanding of yourself, including your culture, and how you are likely to come across to others and then, and only then, understanding those who you are expected to lead.”
   
  Peter Robertson, vice chairman, Chevron Corporation Board
• “Great leadership begins with self-awareness and, in Manage Yourself to Lead Others, Margaret Andrews delivers a game-changing guide for both emerging and seasoned leaders. Packed with transformative insights from her Harvard teaching experience, this book provides a powerful roadmap to elevating your leadership style and unlocking your unique strengths.”
   
  Dr. Nancy Coleman, dean, Harvard Extension School and Continuing Studies
• “While most authors settle for writing books that are informative to readers, Margaret Andrews has written one that is transformative for readers. Besides making a compelling case that leading others starts with leading yourself, this book stands out because it offers a rich collection of real-life stories—relatable, everyday people striving to grow as leaders and professionals—and an interactive and actionable playbook for putting insights into practice.”
   
  Dan LeClair, CEO, Global Business School Network