Under New Management by David Burkus Summary
Overview of Under New Management
"Under New Management" shatters conventional workplace wisdom, revealing why top companies like Netflix and Google put employees first and ban email. Daniel Pink calls it "the one book on being a better manager" you need this year. Ready to make your office transparent, productive, and revolutionary?
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Key takeaways
Breaking the Industrial Mold: Why Modern Workplaces Need New Rules
Imagine walking into a company where employees take unlimited vacation, everyone knows each other's salaries, and the CEO claims that customers come second. Sound like chaos? These seemingly radical practices are actually driving some of today's most successful organizations. The roots of our management problems stretch back to 1898, when Frederick Winslow Taylor introduced "scientific management" at Bethlehem Iron Company, viewing workers as interchangeable parts in a machine. His 1911 book revolutionized business worldwide, but as work evolved from manual to knowledge-based, these industrial-era tools became increasingly mismatched to creative endeavors. While we've transformed technology, transportation, and communication over the past century, our management practices remain largely unchanged relics from the factory floor. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings acknowledges we're "just beginning to learn how to run creative firms," as forward-thinking organizations abandon traditional management approaches that stifle innovation and engagement. The challenge isn't that conventional practices don't work at all-they do function, much like how internal combustion engines operate at 30% efficiency. The problem is the massive untapped potential they waste through rigid hierarchies and outdated control mechanisms. What if we could design workplaces that capture more of our human capabilities? What if management itself could be reinvented for the knowledge era?
Email Overload: Why Setting Boundaries Boosts Performance
Employees First: The Hidden Engine of Customer Satisfaction
Trust Unleashed: The Surprising Power of Unlimited Vacation
The Quitting Bonus: Why Paying People to Leave Makes Them Stay
Salary Transparency: The End of Pay Secrecy
Reimagining Work: The Future of Management Is Human
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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