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First Break All The Rules:
What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

First Break All the Rules, by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, is a compelling read, full of useful suggestions and ideas.

It's a book that will make you think differently about the way you manage.

Here at the Happy Manager, we have placed significant emphasis on building from strengths, both personal and organisational. We've argued that happy managers build on strengths - their own, those of their colleagues, and those of the organisations in which they work.

So, First Break All the Rules, with its emphasis on strength-based management, is one of our must-read recommendations.

Buckingham and Coffman used extensive research carried out by Gallup, and challenged much accepted management theory. Attempting to counter deeply entrenched ideas and practice, they questioned conventional wisdom, such as a development focus on gaps and peoples weaknesses, rather than a focus on a persons individual strengths.

Perhaps this is best summed up by some of the authors' final words:

"People don’t change that much. Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out. Try to draw out what was left in. That is hard enough."

Some Suggestions to Get the Most From This Book.

We have no hesitation in recommending this book, just as we've been happy to refer to it in several places on our site. There's more information on the background to "First Break All The Rules" here.

Interested in other books by Marcus Buckingham?

Marcus Buckingham has written numerous books, all thought provoking and worth reading. We've included a selection of these titles here:

Interested in Other Books on Happiness, Leadership and Management?

Then click here for Books on Happiness and Management: the Happy Manager Bookshop. Here you'll find many of the books on offer, with up to 30% discount off list price.

One final thought. Good-value management or self development doesn't need to cost a fortune. If you want a new copy of our recommended books, just follow the links to Amazon and look for a bargain. Of course many charity shops also stock books like “In Search of Excellence”, so you may find an even better bargain there. Why not build up your professional library whilst contributing to some worthy causes?