Being the Boss, with a New Preface

Part Two

MANAGE YOUR NETWORK

AS A MANAGER, you face a critical choice.

You may have made it already because it's often made unconsciously. It arose when you discovered two fundamental features of organizations that may have surprised you.

The first surprise is the level of help and cooperation you need from others, and they from you. No group can succeed by itself. As a result, instead of the freedom and independence you probably expected as a boss, you found dependence—or, more accurately, interdependence. Expecting to have more opportunity to “drive the business” yourself, you discovered that everything you do requires the cooperation of others, some of whom you formally control but most of whom you don't. As the boss, you're both dependent ...