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Bring home world-class leadership insights shaped by a lifetime of global experience.
★★★★★
“A seamless blend of Harvard-level insight with real-world application.
MYLO is that rare kind of leadership book that doesn’t just inspire you—it shifts how you see yourself and those around you. At its core, Andrews delivers a powerful truth: before you can effectively lead others, you must first understand and manage yourself. It sounds simple, but through her thoughtful, research-driven framework, she shows just how transformative this principle can be when put into practice. What truly makes this book stand out is its seamless blend of Harvard-level insight with real-world application. It’s a gentle reminder that the purpose of leadership isn’t learned solely in classrooms—it’s lived, practiced, and refined daily.”
Andrews draws from over three decades of experience in leadership education to help readers develop emotional intelligence, resilience, and presence—the inner tools that distinguish good (and not-so-good) managers from great leaders. You’re not just reading theory; you’re actively building habits of self-awareness, communication, and trust. From navigating conflict to leading through uncertainty, Andrews equips you with strategies that feel both grounded and deeply human. By the end of MYLO, you don’t just feel more capable—you feel more focused. It’s a book that makes you pause, reflect, and reimagine how you show up as a leader, colleague, and human being. If you’re serious about leadership development, this is not a book to skim—it’s one to study, revisit, and apply—just as I did. 👏 Margaret Andrews has written a modern classic for anyone who believes that leadership is, above all, an inside-out journey. And just in time for the holiday season—my gift to a few of my friends who are startup founders: Margaret Andrews’ timeless insights and thirty years of professional wisdom. (And a surprise copy or two for a couple of bad bosses we’ve all had in the past or present.) 😉
– Phoenix, Amazon Customer
★★★★★
“Take control of your life.
In today’s fast-paced, complex work environment, leadership isn’t just about managing tasks, it starts with managing yourself. One of the most insightful resources I’ve encountered on this subject is Manage Yourself to Lead Others by Margaret C. Andrews. Based on one of Harvard’s most popular executive programmes, Managing Yourself and Leading Others (MYLO), which I had the privilege of undertaking in 2023, this book offers a practical roadmap for developing the inner capabilities required to lead effectively.”
Here are some key takeaways that stood out to me: 1. Self-Awareness Is the Foundation of Leadership Andrews argues that self-awareness isn’t optional - it’s essential. To lead others, we must first understand our own values, strengths, blind spots, and emotional triggers. Lesson: Make reflection a habit. Use tools like journaling, 360° feedback, or mindfulness to understand how your behaviour impacts those around you. 2. Intentionality Over Impulsiveness Strong leaders respond, they don’t react. Being intentional builds trust and clarity, even in high-pressure situations. Lesson: Before responding, ask: What outcome do I want? Align your actions with your values and long-term goals. 3. Communication Is a Leadership Superpower Leadership isn't just about talking, it's about listening, observing, and asking the right questions. Clear, compassionate communication builds strong relationships. Lesson: Practise active listening. You don’t need all the answers, but you do need to engage with curiosity and empathy. 4. Leadership Is Learnt, Not Innate Leadership isn’t reserved for the “naturally gifted.” It’s a skillset developed through practice, feedback, and a growth mindset. Lesson: Treat every challenge as a learning moment. Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d do differently next time. 5. Relationships Matter as Much as Results Managing work is important, but managing relationships is vital. Trust, collaboration, and conflict resolution are key leadership competencies. Lesson: Don’t avoid tough conversations. Approach them with empathy, curiosity, and a desire to understand. 6. Tools and Frameworks Accelerate Growth This book offers practical tools like EQ assessments, decision-making models, and stress-management techniques that turn insight into action. Lesson: Use frameworks not as shortcuts, but as amplifiers of clarity and intention. Final Thoughts Manage Yourself to Lead Others is a timely reminder that leadership starts on the inside. The most impactful leaders are those who develop self-mastery and, in doing so, empower others to lead, grow, and thrive. This is highly recommended for new managers, team leaders, or anyone seeking to lead with greater awareness and purpose.
– Amazon Customer
★★★★★
“This is a book from someone who knows what she is talking about.
Margaret Andrews has done a great job of integrating a powerful methodology with dozens of real-life stories of people learning to manage their work relationships. Unlike most authors writing about these issues, Andrews draws on academic research without getting dogmatic. At the same time, the exercises that she encourages the reader to do are thoughtful and thought-provoking. She doesn’t waste the reader’s time. Whether you work in a corporation, a non-profit, government, or even a one-person shop, this is a book that can help you.”
– David S. McIntosh
★★★★★
“How to be the best boss you can be.
We need all the toxic bosses in the world to read this book. But as you begin reading, certain that you yourself have never been a toxic boss, you may find yourself reflecting "Hmm, maybe I have been a toxic boss in the past?" Margaret Andrews argues that we can't lead others until we can manage ourselves. If you diligently work through the book with a notebook and pen by your side and take the time to use the prompts it's almost as if you're taking Andrews' class at Harvard. Andrews uses a combination of her own stories and those of her students to illustrate her points. Some you'll read and think to yourself "I wish I could do that!" Other times you might conclude, "At least, I'm not that bad!" All the examples are instructive. There's also detailed how-to's on how to give feedback, how to think through difficult decisions and how to manage paradox. In short this is an all-in-one leadership manual - whether you're just starting out on the leadership path, or whether you know you're in need of a refresher to be the best boss you can be.”
– Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
“Outstanding, engaging book filled with valuable insights.
Wish I had this book years ago. In Manage Yourself to Lead Others, Margaret Andrews presents an inside out approach to leadership that will help readers survive and thrive. Building on experience in the corporate world and her popular course at Harvard Business School she provides practical tools and resources providing a critical foundation for effective leadership.”
– Amazon Customer
★★★★★
“A quick and impactful read!
This is a great book for anyone who wants to grow as a leader without relying on "hacks" or quick fixes. Margaret Andrews makes the case that the hardest (and most important) part of leadership isn’t about managing others, it’s about managing yourself first. I liked the way the book balances research-backed insights with reflection questions you can actually use. It’s not abstract theory - it's concrete, doable steps you can implement now. Whether you’re new to leadership been in the trenches for years, this book will make you stop and think.”
– Sarah Mann
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What is the “best” way to lead others?
The answer may surprise you.
When it comes to leadership, there is no single best style, approach or type. And it’s not your intelligence, energy, drive, or expertise—the traits and skills that got you to your current level of success—that will get you to higher levels of success. The basis for powerful, effective leadership comes from within – from understanding yourself and then managing yourself toward the leader you want to become. The leader that, based on your unique combination of background, values, talents, and skills, only you can become.
Margaret C. Andrews, in her new book, Manage Yourself To Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding (Basic Venture; September 16, 2025) helps you to not just follow best practices, but to be a best practice. Based on her popular graduate-level course at Harvard, which has had a wait list every time it’s been taught for over a decade, and executive program of the same name, which has become the most popular professional development program at Harvard, Manage Yourself To Lead Others helps you connect with yourself to become more composed and intentional, which enhances your ability to understand and connect with others to lead more effectively. Thousands of executives in Andrews’ class and professional development program have learned how to understand themselves and translate this understanding into effectively managing themselves, developing and leading others, managing their own bosses, and making better decisions.
In Manage Yourself To Lead Others, Margaret Andrews presents a practical, personal guide to harnessing the power of self-understanding to become a more successful leader. Andrews knows firsthand what it’s like to be confronted with your shortcomings as a manager; in her previous life as an executive her new boss told her plainly that she was “not self- aware” in her dealings with him or the rest of her team. This pushed Andrews to look for insights from famous leaders and people she knew, management books, academic studies, history, philosophy, theology, and psychology and uncover what she believes is the fundamental truth about powerful, compelling leadership—that understanding and managing ourselves is the foundation of effective leadership.
★★★★★
“Insightful, well-tested techniques!
What a chance to take an incredible class for the cost of a book! Margaret Andrews offers her expertise to all of us.
– N.E. Banks
★★★★★
“Do yourself and your team a favor - read this!
This book cuts through the fluff and delivers what most leadership books miss: a practical path to managing yourself so you can actually lead others. Margaret Andrews doesn’t just share theory, she gives frameworks, examples, and exercises that make the ideas stick. It reads like a conversation with a trusted coach, helping you build self-awareness and translate it into stronger leadership. Whether you’re just stepping into management or looking to level up, this is a playbook worth keeping close.”
– Scott T
★★★★★
“Must Read for Leaders and Aspiring Leaders
A must read for any leader or apsiring leader. Filled with stories, insights, research, and more. Margaret's book will be one that you don't keep on your shelf, but rather by your side. A true companion.”
– DrHB
★★★★★
“Leading Doesn’t Have To Be Painful.
This is the book I wished I’d had when I started managing people. It’s not about hiring the “right” people (who are exactly like you), it’s not about telling them what to do, it’s about seeing people as human. This is the book that will teach you how to do that so everyone can contribute to a common goal, including yourself. Read this book, do what Margaret advises, and you and everyone around you will be more productive. And happier, too!”
– Kindle Customer
★★★★★
“A powerful, supportive guide for ambitious people-focused leaders.
A simple, kind, and very wise approach to taking care of yourself and your team in today's complex world of work. You can tell that Margaret Andrews has spent decades learning from her executive students while teaching the class that led to this book. This would make a great gift for that ambitious person in your life who wants a framework and practical lessons they can sink their leadership teeth into.”
– Hunter
★★★★★
“A Gem on Self-Leadership and Growth.
A remarkable resource, this book distills the timeless lessons Margaret Andrews shares at Harvard University, making it an essential guide for anyone aspiring to lead through self-mastery. Well done!”
– Satak Alamarie
Topics explored in Manage Yourself To Lead Others include:
How to identify the leader you want to be—and evolve yourself to become that leader
What can happen when you don’t evolve as a leader
What self-understanding is, why it’s essential for leadership, and how to better understand yourself
How to manage yourself and the role of emotions in self-management
How to more effectively understand, develop, and lead others
How to think through and address difficult situations and decisions
Understanding organizational culture and the difference between being a Culture-Taker and a Culture-Maker—and why this distinction matters
What to do when you feel stuck, need to recover from a setback, or recognize it’s time to consider a new path
A practical, personal guide to harnessing the power of self-understanding to become a more effective leader, Manage Yourself To Lead Others is essential for all leaders—whether you’ve just been promoted or you’ve been in the trenches for decades.
“Imagine the leader you want to become,” Andrews writes. “I invite you to become that leader by bringing the full power of your intelligence, ambition, and hard work—what got you here—to develop the next level of you.”
About The Author
Margaret C. Andrews is a seasoned executive, academic leader, speaker, and instructor. She has created and teaches a variety of leadership courses and professional and executive programs at Harvard University and is the founder of the MYLO Center, a private leadership development firm. Her clients include Amazon, Citi, Continental, Walmart, Wayfair, and the United Nations. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. You can follow Margaret on LinkedIn (@margaretcandrews)
★★★★★
“What you must do first in order to become an effective leader of others
Whatever their size and nature may be, organizations need effective leadership at all levels and in all areas of the given enterprise. It is also true that companies annually ranked most highly admired and best to work for are also ranked among those that are most profitable, having the greatest cap value in their industry segment. Here is a key passage in Margaret Andrews's introduction to her book: "The Manage Yourself to Lead Others (MYLO) approach helps you connect with yourself to become more composed and intentional, which helps you understand and connect with others to lead more effectively. It's a layered approach to leadership development that starts with understanding and managing yourself, then moves on to leading others, understanding and managing organizational context, working through the inevitable challenge of leadership, and then setting the conditions and practices to lead for the long term. And it all begins with understanding and managing ourselves (See Figure 1)."
Presumably by "great" Anderson means deeply principled as well as highly effective. That is, someone whose leadership is based on self-management that is guided and informed by self-understanding. These are among the strategic objectives that Anderson will help you to achieve, and help you to help others to achieve: HOW TO o Recognize what leadership looks like o Understand how people grow as leaders-- and what happens when they don't o Understand yourself o Manage your behavior and attitude o Lead others with high-impact o Manage up o Understand organizational culture o "Unpack" the challenges of leadership o Recover from setbacks, getting unstuck, and building resilience o Take the long view on leadership developments This is a must-read for all executives who are committed to self-directed learning and Manage Yourself to Lead Others should be one of the primary spurces for all leadership developmernt programs, whatever the size and nature of the sponsoring organization may be. * * * Here are two suggestions while you are reading Manage Yourself to Lead Others: First, highlight key passages. Also, perhaps in a notebook kept near at hand (e.g. Apica Premium C.D. Notebook A5), record your comments, questions, and action steps (preferably with deadlines). Also use it when completing various exercises such as those in the first chapter. Pay special attention to the material in Part Four, "Leading for the Long Term." These two simple tactics — highlighting and documenting — will expedite frequent reviews of key material later.
– Robert Morris
★★★★★
“A Leadership Book That Starts Where It Should - With You.
Manage Yourself to Lead Others is the rare leadership guide that doesn’t jump straight into managing teams or driving results. It begins with the most overlooked skill in leadership: understanding yourself. Drawing on Harvard’s most popular professional development program, Margaret Andrews blends research, reflection prompts, and realworld examples to help you identify the patterns, values, and blind spots that shape your leadership style. The result is a deeply practical, refreshingly honest playbook that equips you to lead with clarity, empathy, and purpose. Whether you’re stepping into your first management role or recalibrating after years at the helm, this book offers both the mirror and the map for becoming the leader you truly want to be.”
– Amazon Customer
★★★★★
“Drive, grit, and self-awareness shape world-class leaders.
As an entrepreneur and endurance athlete, I know success starts from within, and this book nails how self-understanding sets the pace for truly impactful leadership.”
– Robert D. Crowley
★★★★★
“How to be an impactful leader.
If you care enough to be a good leader, this book is for you. If you don't care enough to be a good leader, this book is ESPECIALLY for you.”
– Amazon Customer
★★★★★
“There's always something to learn, no matter how much success you've achieved.
So clear, so important. "Knowing isn't the same as doing" and the story about the doctor who had the courage to admit he was a bad leader and was finally ready to learn stand out as particularly strong writing and guidance. Andrews has written what will surely be an instant classic, a must-read for leaders, no matter how long in their position. There's always something to learn.”
– Laura Stone
★★★★★
“Enhance Your Career—and Yourself.
This is a great book for anyone who wants to become a better employee, better boss and/or better person. It is based on an executive education course/program--one that every student I know who has taken it says is excellent. In the book, if you follow the questions and exercises, you really get the experience of taking that course. The book is very well organized and accessible. perhaps best of all, while you can't improve your IQ (as far as I know), you can improve your EQ by reading this book.”
– Robert S. Duboff
★★★★★
“Practical, research-backed, and immediately useful—this one’s a must read for all leaders.
This book cuts through the noise on leadership and what it means to lead. Margaret Andrews makes a strong case that leadership starts with managing yourself before you can lead others. She shares stories, research, and practical tools that you can actually use, like the “Best Boss” exercise, S-of growth, and simple steps for self-management What I liked most is how relevant and useful her exercises and stories are. Andrews reminds us that people don’t care about our intentions, only our behaviors, and she shows how to close that gap. The sections on giving feedback, managing up, and navigating culture are particularly helpful. It’s not theory-heavy or fluffy—it’s practical advice for becoming the leader people actually want to follow.”
– Janet Ply, PhD