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Learning how to effectively lead teams is a key skill that can be applied in any industry. And, the good news is management is a skill anyone can get better at over time. In her book, The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You, Author Julie Zhuo, a former VP of Product Design at Facebook (now Meta), draws on personal experience and lessons she wished she’d had as a first-time manager. The book offers practical, relevant advice that can be applied every day.

Throughout the book, Zhuo stresses the idea that, “great managers are made, not born.” She argues that anyone can become a better manager, and management is a skill that professionals should continuously work on improving.

Five key lessons from “The Making of a Manager” include:

1. A Manager’s Job Is To Achieve Better Outcomes from a Group of People Working Together: The book stresses that long-term output matters most. It’s important to move beyond day-to-day activities, like having meetings, to look at the bigger picture. Good managers focus on both achieving strong outcomes and setting teams up for long-term success.

2. Your Role Is Not to Do Everything: Invest in Training Teams: One trap some new managers fall into is trying to do all of the work themselves. This approach will only take you so far. Instead, Zhuo stresses that managers should invest time in training and developing team members over time to maximize the impact the team can have as a group.

3. The Best Ideas Don’t Always Come From the Loudest Voices: Zhuo stresses that managers should guide conversations in ways that encourage people to contribute and speak up. If one person is dominating the conversation, an effective manager should ask others in the group for input. This can be as simple as saying, “We haven’t heard from you yet and I’d like to know what you think about this idea.”

4. Create a Positive Company Culture: Identify values you want to nurture in a company and create a plan to help those values flourish. For example, start traditions that celebrate your values. In the book, she talks about how Facebook’s hackathons helped encourage employees to try out bold new ideas.

5. Feedback Is a Gift: New managers sometimes avoid giving feedback or try to sugar coat feedback. Zhuo argues that managers should give feedback frequently if it can help a team improve rather than waiting for formal review sessions. Make sure feedback can be acted upon, make it specific, and then, get everyone on the same page about what success looks like. After that, agree on next steps.

Julie Zhuo’s The Making of a Manager provides actionable advice that can help someone at any stage of their career. Whether you’re transitioning into a leadership role or looking to refine your management skills, her book can serve as a helpful guide. From understanding what makes a manager effective, to day-to-day insights on topics like providing feedback, her book is a resource readers can come back to throughout their careers.