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Bosses ought to be judged by what they and their people get done and by how their followers feel along the way.

…bosses, like other humans, are notoriously poor judges of their own actions and accomplishments.

…the most deeply incompetent people suffer from the most inflated assessments of their own abilities and performance.

The ability to convey confidence isn’t something most bosses are born with; they learn it through mentoring and experience.

Experiments… show that managers who took responsibility for bad events like pay freezes and failed projects were seen as more powerful, competent, and likable than those who denied responsibility.

…willingness to accept blame for future setbacks shows how, to get and keep a management job, skilled bosses talk and act as if there is a strong link between their actions and followers’ performance.

Psychological safety is the key to creating a workplace where people can be confident enough to act without undue fear of being ridiculed, punished, or fired – and be humble enough to openly doubt what is believed and done.

…just because people can perform a job well doesn’t mean they ought to help manage it.

…surveys show that employees with supervisors (or someone else) who care about them as people are happier and more committed to their work.

Confirmation bias can cause bosses to make excessively glowing judgments about people they have invested a lot of time and money in or who they simply find to be likeable or admirable.