The Rules of Management: A definitive code for managerial success

Richard Templar is the author of the international bestselling Rules books. Over 2 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules. The complete list of titles is as follows: The Rules of Life, The Rules of Work, The Rules of Management, The Rules of Wealth, The Rules of Parenting, The Rules of Love, The Rules to Break, The Rules of People, The Rules of Thinking, and The Rules of Living Well.

Managing your team

1. Get them emotionally involved

2. Know what a team is and how it works

3. Set realistic targets – no, really realistic

4. Hold effective meetings . . .

5. No, really effective

6. Make meetings fun

7. Make your team better than you

8. Know your own importance

9. Set your boundaries

10. Be ready to prune

11. Offload as much as you can – or dare

12. Let them make mistakes

13. Accept their limitations

14. Encourage people

15. Be very, very good at finding the right people

16. Hire raw talent

17. Take the rap

18. Give credit to the team when it deserves it

19. Get the best resources for your team

20. Celebrate

21. Keep track of everything you do and say

22. Be sensitive to friction

23. Create a good atmosphere

24. Inspire loyalty and team spirit

25. Have and show trust in your staff

26. Respect individual differences

27. Listen to ideas from others

28. Adapt your style to each team member

29. Let them think they know more than you (even if they don’t)

30. Don’t always have to have the last word

31. Understand the roles of others

32. Ensure people know exactly what is expected of them

33. Have clear expectations

34. Use positive reinforcement motivation

35. Don’t try justifying stupid systems

36. Be ready to say yes

37. Train them to bring you solutions, not problems

Managing yourself

38. Work hard

39. Set the standard

40. Enjoy yourself

41. Don’t let it get to you

42. Know what you are supposed to be doing

43. Know what you are actually doing

44. Value your time

45. Be proactive, not reactive

46. Be consistent

47. Set realistic targets for yourself – no, really realistic

48. Have a game plan, but keep it secret

49. Get rid of superfluous rules

50. Learn from your mistakes

51. Be ready to unlearn – what works, changes

52. Cut the crap – prioritize

53. Cultivate those in the know

54. Know when to kick the door shut

55. Fill your time productively and profitably

56. Have a Plan B and a Plan C

57. Capitalize on chance – be lucky, but never admit it

58. Recognize when you’re stressed

59. Manage your health

60. Be prepared for the pain and pleasure

61. Face the future

62. Head up, not head down

63. See the wood and the trees

64. Know when to let go

65. Be decisive, even if it means being wrong sometimes

66. Adopt minimalism as a management style

67. Visualize your blue plaque

68. Have principles and stick to them

69. Follow your intuition

70. Be creative

71. Don’t stagnate

72. Be flexible and ready to move on

73. Remember the object of the exercise

74. Remember that none of us has to be here

75. Go home

76. Keep learning – especially from the opposition

77. Be passionate and bold

78. Plan for the worst, but hope for the best

79. Let the company see you are on its side

80. Don’t bad-mouth your boss

81. Don’t bad-mouth your team

82.Accept that some things bosses tell you to do will be wrong

83 Accept that bosses are as scared as you are at times

84. Avoid straitjacket thinking

85. Act and talk as if one of them

86. If in doubt, ask questions

87. Show you understand the viewpoint of underlings and overlings

88. Add value

89. Don’t back down – be prepared to stand your ground

90. Don’t play politics

91. Don’t slag off other managers

92. Share what you know

93. Don’t intimidate

94. Be above interdepartmental warfare

95. Show that you’ll fight to the death for your team

96. Aim for respect rather than being liked

97. Do one or two things well and avoid the rest

98. Seek feedback on your performance

99. Maintain good relationships and friendships

100. Build respect – both ways – between you and your customers

101. Go the extra mile for your customers

102. Be aware of your responsibilities

103. Be straight at all times and speak the truth

104. Don’t cut corners – you’ll get found out

105. Find the right sounding board

106 Be in command and take charge

107 Be a diplomat for the company

The Rules for entrepreneurs

1 Don’t borrow money

2 Find a balance

3 Plan for the worst

4 Have a mission

5 Be brutally honest

6 Get all the help you can

7 Set up a strong culture

8 Don’t say yes to everything

9 Stick by your decisions

10 Your time is everyone’s time

End game

Had enough yet . . .?