2The Manager’s Universe

Relationships—The Sum Total of Any Business

As a manager in The Middle, what is the most crucial element you must deal with every day?

Some would reply, "Money." Others might say, "Products." Still others, "Strategies," "Business models," "Organizational plans," or "The corporate vision."

All of these may be important. All are tools you need to understand and learn how to wield in pursuit of your goals and the goals of the company. But more important than any of these tools are the people you work with and your relationships with them.

After all, to the extent that you’ve been entrusted with business tools—money, products, services, strategies, and all the rest—it’s because of what you’ve done with and for the other people ...

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