Russ Laraway Books
Russ Laraway is a leadership expert and former executive at Google, Twitter, and Qualtrics. He co-founded Radical Candor with Kim Scott and has dedicated his career to developing better managers through evidence-based leadership practices.
Known for: When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Books by Russ Laraway
When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Management is often treated like a mysterious art form, full of personality-driven tricks, motivational slogans, and endless complexity. Russ Laraway argues the opposite. In When They Win, You Win, he shows that great management is not vague or magical; it is practical, learnable, and far simpler than most organizations make it. The core idea is powerful: a manager’s job is not to control people, but to help them succeed. When employees grow, perform, and move toward meaningful goals, the team and company benefit too. Drawing on leadership experience at Google, Twitter, and Qualtrics, Laraway offers a clear framework built around three responsibilities: direction, coaching, and career development. Rather than drowning readers in theory, he focuses on behaviors managers can apply immediately in one-on-ones, goal setting, feedback, and long-term development conversations. The book matters because so many managers are promoted without being taught how to lead, and the cost of poor management is enormous. For new managers, experienced leaders, and anyone building teams, Laraway provides a refreshingly concrete guide to creating trust, accountability, and high performance by putting people’s success first.
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The Manager’s Dilemma Starts With Control
Many managers fail not because they do too little, but because they try to do too much. A common trap in leadership is believing the manager must always have the answers, oversee every detail, and personally drive every result. That mindset feels responsible, but it often creates confusion, dependen...
From When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Great Management Has Three Clear Jobs
Leadership becomes manageable when you stop treating it as an abstract identity and start treating it as a set of responsibilities. Laraway reduces great management to three jobs: setting direction, coaching, and career development. This matters because many managers are evaluated on business outcom...
From When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Direction Creates Clarity, Focus, And Ownership
People cannot perform consistently when they are forced to guess what success looks like. One of the manager’s most important responsibilities is to provide clear direction, yet many leaders assume that broad company goals or occasional status updates are enough. Laraway makes the case that directio...
From When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Coaching Turns Potential Into Performance
Feedback is only useful when it helps someone improve, and that is why coaching matters more than criticism. Laraway treats coaching as a central management discipline, not an occasional correction after something goes wrong. Great managers observe performance, identify gaps, reinforce strengths, an...
From When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Career Development Drives Engagement And Retention
People want more from work than a paycheck; they want progress. One of Laraway’s most valuable ideas is that career development is not a bonus feature of management but a core responsibility. Employees are more engaged when they believe their manager understands their ambitions and is actively helpi...
From When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
Trust And Safety Make Performance Possible
High standards do not thrive in fear; they thrive in trust. Laraway emphasizes that direction, coaching, and development only work when employees believe their manager is fair, honest, and invested in their success. Psychological safety does not mean lowering expectations or avoiding difficult conve...
From When They Win, You Win: Being a Great Manager Is Simpler Than You Think
About Russ Laraway
Russ Laraway is a leadership expert and former executive at Google, Twitter, and Qualtrics. He co-founded Radical Candor with Kim Scott and has dedicated his career to developing better managers through evidence-based leadership practices.
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Russ Laraway is a leadership expert and former executive at Google, Twitter, and Qualtrics. He co-founded Radical Candor with Kim Scott and has dedicated his career to developing better managers through evidence-based leadership practices.
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