4.7(3)
HBR Guide

HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss

Are you a good boss—or a great one?

We know people don't leave jobs, they leave bosses. How can you be the type of boss that doesn't send employees running? One who makes your people happy to work for you?

You've got the basics covered. But can you raise your leadership level to be a boss who develops trust with their employees? How do you create a culture where learning—and failing—are ok? Can you go beyond evaluating performance and distributing bonuses once a year to finding ways to regularly share productive feedback—and recognize great work—in ways that work for the people who work for you?

You can meet the basic requirements of your job as leader and rise above to motivate the people on your team to do more—and be more—than they thought possible. Whether you're a first-time boss or you've been managing people forever and are looking for some new insights and inspiration, the HBR Guide to Being a Great Boss collects a variety of expert voices to share their advice on being a boss who sparks creativity, engagement, and collaboration. You'll learn how to: magnify your people's strengths; communicate effectively—and regularly—with your team; cultivate trust; help your employees find meaning in their work; challenge your people to reach beyond their current limit; help struggling employees improve; and bring out the best in your people—and yourself.


  1. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leading with Purpose : (featuring "Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization" by Robert E. Quinn and Anjan V. Thakor)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Adam Grant, Ranjay Gulati, Julie Battilana, Michael E. Porter

    audiobook
  2. People Skills for a Virtual World Collection

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  3. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Employee Engagement

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  4. Being Your Best Collection (6 Books) (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  5. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Begin with Trust" by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  6. The Year in Tech, 2026 : The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Scott D. Anthony, Amy Webb, José Parra-Moyano, Christina Shim

    audiobook
  7. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (featuring "The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy" by Michael E. Porter)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  8. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (featuring "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton M. Christensen)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Peter F. Drucker, Amy Gallo, Amy Jen Sue, Clayton M. Christensen

    audiobook
  9. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Change Management, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Leading Change" by John P. Kotter)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, John P. Kotter, Frances Frei, Vijay Govindarajan, Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez

    audiobook
  10. HBR's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Nine Things Successful People Do Differently" by Heidi Grant)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review

    audiobook
  11. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (featuring "How to Stop Worrying About What Other People Think of You" by Michael Gervais)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Michael Gervais, Angela L. Duckworth, Martin E. P. Seligman, Herminia Ibarra

    audiobook
  12. HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (featuring "Are You a Good Boss--or a Great One?" by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)

    Harvard Harvard Business Review, Daniel Goleman, Linda A. Hill, Tsedal Neeley, Marcus Buckingham

    audiobook