As a manager you are there to get things done through people. You are engaged
in a purposeful activity involving others. But you are concerned with defining
ends as well as gaining them. You decide what to do and then ensure that it gets
done with the help of the members of your team. You deal with programmes,
processes, events and eventualities. All this is done through the exercise of
leadership.

People are the most important resource available to you as a manager. It is
through this resource that other resources are managed. However, you are
ultimately accountable for the management of all resources, including your own.
When dealing with immediate issues, anticipating problems, responding to
demands or even a crisis, and developing new ways of doing things, you are
personally involved. You manage yourself as well as other people. You cannot
delegate everything. You frequently have to rely on your own resources to get
things done. These resources include skill, know-how, competencies, time, and
reserves of resilience and determination. You will get support, advice and
assistance from your own staff and specialists, including HR (human resources),
but in the last analysis you are on your own.

The rest of this book examines particular aspects of managing people, such
as leadership, organizing and motivation. This chapter focuses more generally on
what you need to be and do to exercise your people management responsibilities
effectively. It starts with an overall look at the criteria for managerial
effectiveness. This is followed by a review of the attributes of effective
managers. The rest of the chapter deals with a number of the key aspects of
management.