Official Review: The Boss's Challenge by Mark A Scureman

[inaramid]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Boss's Challenge" by Mark A Scureman.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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A common advice given to job seekers is to “pick a boss, not a job.” Having served in leadership positions in the U.S. Army, Col (Ret.) Mark A. Scureman subscribes to the wisdom of this statement. In writing The Boss’s Challenge: Manage Well, Lead Well, and Listen, Scureman leverages his impressive array of experiences—as a leader, a supervisor, and a speaker in leadership seminars for Fortune 500 companies—to craft this thought-provoking guide for commanders, supervisors, and anyone else who has ever been cast in that enviable role of “boss.”

The Boss’s Challenge expounds on the concept of leadership by exploring fifteen key differences between a leader and a manager. First, Scureman presents all characteristics and behaviors that distinguish a leader from a manager (e.g., “Managers do things right. Leaders do the right thing.”). Next, he dissects each characteristic and behavior and supports every contention he makes with stories culled from his personal and professional experiences, ranging from a business venture he had with his wife, to the plight of his fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War, and even to the politics of subscribing to Playboy magazine. He emphasizes the need to not just be one or the other but to be both leader and manager, able to respond to situations as they arise. The crucial competency then is knowing when to manage and when to lead. Throughout the book, Scureman presents various scenarios where he (or someone he knows) had to shift between managing people and leading them, plainly demonstrating how management and leadership concepts operate in actual work settings.

Scureman repeatedly underscores how many people quit a supervisor, not a job. Having done so before, I can fully relate to every aspect of leadership that he brings up in his book. There are “unofficial” leaders in an organization, and lofty job titles do not necessarily equate to power. Sometimes, bosses tend to “overmanage and underlead,” a malady that often manifests in the stubborn treatment of policies as laws. A leader, according to Scureman, finds “innovative ways to break the rules,” a great food for thought for all bosses out there. In every chapter, Scureman incorporates concepts from other authors and researchers, but by infusing anecdotes into the text, he makes every topic—the perils of micromanaging, the intricacies of organizational politics, the fallout of planning paralysis, the wonders of empowerment, and the need to have a vision—more accessible to the reader.

It’s not surprising that a common response Scureman gets from his audience is a nodding motion he calls a “bobblehead effect.” Throughout the book’s thirteen chapters, I found myself reacting in pretty much the same way simply because Scureman’s insights resonate with my own experiences. At one point, he jokes about nearly naming the book, My Boss Needs to Be Here, as this was another common feedback from his seminar audience. Given the book’s contents, titles like My Boss Should Totally Read This or How Not to Be a Certifiable Jerk of a Boss would be great alternatives as well.

Scureman’s prose is straightforward and refreshingly unpretentious. His expertise shines through the text, but he refrains from making any claims that his knowledge is absolute. He conveys the idea that he is, like his audience, a lifelong learner. His prowess as a speaker translates very well into the written word, giving readers the distinct feeling that he is right before them, relating the things he’d learned in all his years as a person and as a professional. Although the book’s jargon-free writing makes it appealing to the casual reader, The Boss’s Challenge wouldn’t be out of place in an academic setting. The book’s contents could already be a semester’s worth of lectures for a management class and could just as easily replace any textbook or reference material written for a leadership course.

The Boss’s Challenge deserves 4 out of 4 stars for the quality of the writing and the content. It’s not only filled to the brim with useful information and practical advice but it’s also professionally edited. I have no qualms in endorsing this book to everyone—employees, employers, business owners, students, teachers, and just anybody who wishes to be a better supervisor. If you aspire to be at the top of your organization, you should look beyond the power and prestige attached to the position. As Scureman concludes, “being the leader doesn’t make you special or superior.” Rather, you are given the boss's challenge—to learn to manage well, lead well, and listen. Let this book be your guide.

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The Boss's Challenge
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[AmySmiles]

Interesting. Pick a job for the boss not for the work. Totally makes sense. Too bad it is harder to know if the boss of a particular job would be a good match, but that is essentially what it comes down to. If personalities clash chances are you are moving on to another job. Thanks for the review!

[crediblereading2]

You know, I always share this view of picking a boss instead of a job. I say this because sometimes you get a job with all the suitable requirements but it comes with a boss from hell. All persons in leadership positions should grab this book and start reading right away. Great review.

[420waystoreachthesun]

This is definitely not my kind of book, but I loved your review.

[inaramid]

Too bad it is harder to know if the boss of a particular job would be a good match, but that is essentially what it comes down to.

That's the difficulty, isn't it? The advice might sound simple, but it will definitely be difficult to apply in real life. Thanks for dropping by!

All persons in leadership positions should grab this book and start reading right away.

Totally agree!

This is definitely not my kind of book, but I loved your review.

Thanks, 420waystoreachthesun!

[AbbyGNelson]

I don't normally read non-fiction, but this book sounds really good and really helpful! Thank you for this review, suuuper good to know

[gen_g]

Thank you for your comprehensive and insightful review; it is always refreshing to read something that is not overly verbose, but straight to the point. I hope that I will enjoy it as much as you did.