BY: Gino Wickman and René Boer
If you’re a business owner, team leader, or manager who wants to lead with more confidence and build a high-performing team, How to Be a Great Boss offers a powerful mix of mindset and practical tools. Written by Gino Wickman, creator of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)®, and René Boer, longtime EOS® Implementer and leadership expert, this book provides a straightforward roadmap for becoming the kind of leader your team wants to follow—and your business needs.
This book review explores the key themes and takeaways from How to Be a Great Boss, with a focus on real-world leadership, building accountability, managing people effectively, and creating a workplace where both leaders and employees can thrive.
Why This Book Matters for Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
Leadership is hard. Especially in small to mid-sized businesses, where leaders are often stretched thin, wearing multiple hats, and trying to manage team performance while still growing the business. How to Be a Great Boss was written specifically for these leaders. It doesn’t rely on fluff or theory—instead, it gives you a practical framework for leading and managing your people with clarity, consistency, and purpose.
The book is especially relevant for growth-minded entrepreneurs, small business owners, and leaders running businesses with teams of 10 to 250 people. Whether you’re using EOS® or not, the book’s strategies will help you:
- Improve employee accountability and performance
- Reduce micromanagement and firefighting
- Build a team of people who “get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it”
- Develop a culture of transparency, trust, and healthy communication
The Core Message: Great Bosses Lead and Manage
Wickman and Boer emphasize that being a great boss means mastering both leadership and management. The two are not interchangeable:
- Leadership is about vision, direction, and inspiration.Think ON the business.
- Management is about expectations, communication, and accountability. Think IN the business.
Many business owners are strong leaders but weak managers, or vice versa. Great bosses must learn to do both well. The book offers clear, actionable steps to strengthen both skill sets.
Key Takeaway #1: Create Clarity with the Right Structure
One of the biggest causes of team dysfunction is a lack of clarity around roles and expectations. The book encourages leaders to use an Accountability Chart™ (a foundational EOS® tool) to:
- Define each seat in the business
- Clarify who is responsible for what
- Align people around functions, not titles
This helps eliminate overlapping responsibilities, confusion, and the all-too-common problem of “everyone owning everything.”
Key Takeaway #2: Use GWC™ to Assess Fit
The GWC™ tool—”Get it, Want it, Capacity to do it”—is used to assess whether someone is in the right seat. It’s a simple framework that helps leaders objectively evaluate fit without relying on emotion or guesswork.
- Get it: They understand the role intuitively
- Want it: They genuinely want the role and responsibilities
- Capacity: They have the time, skills, and mental/emotional capacity to perform
Using GWC™, you can identify team members who need coaching, those who may be in the wrong seat, and high-performers ready to take on more responsibility.
Key Takeaway #3: Implement Weekly One-on-Ones
Regular one-on-one meetings are a cornerstone of great management. Wickman and Boer recommend holding 30-minute check-ins every week or two with direct reports. These meetings should:
- Build connection and trust
- Address roadblocks or concerns
- Revisit priorities and expectations
Done consistently, one-on-ones improve communication, morale, and accountability without micromanaging.
Key Takeaway #4: Use the People Analyzer™ to Build a Values-Aligned Team
Another core EOS® tool, the People Analyzer™, helps leaders evaluate team members against core values and the GWC™ framework. It helps answer two critical questions:
- Is this person aligned with our culture and values?
- Are they in the right role?
This tool allows leaders to make informed people decisions and have honest, objective conversations about performance and alignment.
Final Thoughts: Why This Book Belongs on Every Business Leader’s Shelf
How to Be a Great Boss is not a motivational read—it’s a practical playbook. It gives overwhelmed leaders the tools, language, and structure they need to build healthy, accountable, and aligned teams.
If you’re a business owner, department head, or practice leader struggling with team performance, unclear roles, or burnout from trying to do everything yourself, this book will help you:
- Set clearer expectations
- Improve communication
- Strengthen team accountability
- Step into your role as both a confident leader and effective manager
Recommended for:
- Founders scaling from operator to confident CEO or owner
- Managers struggling with team performance
Want to know if you’re being a great boss?
Take our free Business Health Check to assess where your leadership and team may be off track—and how to fix it.
