Julie Zhuo, a Chinese-American businesswoman, computer scientist, and the author of The *Making of a Manager*, is a great example of a good manager who knows what they're doing. Nevertheless, that wasn't always the case. At the age of twenty-five, Julie was offered a job as a manager of Facebook's design team. It was Julie's first experience in this field, so she had to face some challenges very soon.

For example, as a manager, Julie organized corporate meetings and gatherings, during which she commented on her colleagues’ work and made decisions about firing or promoting her subordinates. Still, this strategy was not optimal because somehow Julie did not have a long-term perspective; she just focused on the present moment without looking into the future. After realizing this problem, Julie questioned herself whether she really understood the essence of a manager's job.

As she became more experienced, Julie soon realized that her enemy was a lack of foresight and big-picture formation. She often failed to acknowledge the global scope while focusing on small issues. Thus, Julie was missing the importance of helping the team achieve effective and fruitful collaboration, achieve personal work ambitions, and settle issues together. The manager guides the team to achieve better results. In fact, their function is simple, and yet it took Julie, like many others, a long time to realize it. A mediocre manager focuses on short strategies like, "Mike is not performing well, so we'll fire Mike." At the same time, a good manager will analyze the productivity of their employees, calculating all the risks and consequences for the company of firing or keeping Mike.

We are not all good leaders, but this is essential for a good manager. Trust and willingness to follow a manager don’t come out of nowhere. As a manager, one must establish oneself as a good leader, earning the trust and respect of one’s subordinates. Don't be afraid if this takes time, as any interpersonal connections take time to build. In turn, these connections will be the foundation of good teamwork. That's exactly what you need! Gain the respect of your subordinates, build strong bonds, and turn your team into *the team.* That is how you will become a good manager!