Richard Templar (U.K.) is an astute observer of human behavior and understands what makes the difference between those of us who effortlessly glide toward success and those of us who struggle against the tide. He has distilled these observations into his "Rules" titles. More than 1.3 million people around the world have enjoyed and now play by Richard Templar's Rules.

Introduction Managing your team 1 Get them emotionally involved 2 Know what a team is and how it works 3 Set realistic targets - no, really realistic 4 Hold effective meetings... 5 ... No, really effective 6 Make meetings fun 7 Make your team better than you 8 Know your own importance 9 Set your boundaries 10 Be ready to prune 11 Offload as much as you can - or dare 12 Let them make mistakes 13 Accept their limitations 14 Encourage people 15 Be very, very good at finding the right people 16 Hire raw talent 17 Take the rap 18 Give credit to the team when it deserves it 19 Get the best resources for your team 20 Celebrate 21 Keep track of everything you do and say 22 Be sensitive to friction 23 Create a good atmosphere 24 Inspire loyalty and team spirit 25 Have and show trust in your staff 26 Respect individual differences 27 Listen to other ideas 28 Adapt your style to each team member 29 Let them think they know more than you (even if they don't) 30 Don't always have to have the last word 31 Understand the roles of others 32 Ensure people know exactly what is expected of them 33 Have clear expectations 34 Use positive reinforcement motivation 35 Don't try justifying stupid systems 36 Be ready to say yes 37 Train them to bring you solutions, not problems Managing yourself 38 Work hard 39 Set the standard 40 Enjoy yourself 41 Don't let it get to you 42 Know what your supposed to be doing 43 Know what your actually doing 44 Value your time 45 Be proactive, not reactive 46 Be consistent 47 Set realistic targets for yourself - no, really realistic 48 Have a game plan, but keep it secret 49 Get rid of superfluous rules 50 Learn from your mistakes 51 Be ready to unlearn - what works, changes 52 Cut the crap - prioritize 53 Cultivate those in the know 54 Know when to kick the door shut 55 Fill your time productively and profitably 56 Have a Plan B and a Plan C 57 Capitalize on chance - by lucky, but never admit it 58 Recognize when you're stressed 59 Manage your health 60 Be prepared for the pain and pleasure 61 Face the future 62 Head up, not head down 63 See the wood and the trees 64 Know when to let go 65 Be decisive, even if it means being wrong sometimes 66 Adopt minialism as a managerial style 67 Visualize your blue plaque 68 Have principles and stick to them 69 Follow your intuition 70 Be creative 71 Don't stagnate 72 Be flexible and ready to move on 73 Remeber the oject of the exercise 74 Remember that none of us has to be there 75 Go home 76 Keep learning - especially from the opposition 77 Be passionate and bold 78 Plan for the worst, but hope for the best 79 Let the company see you are on its side 80 Don't bad-mouth your boss 81 Don't bad-mouth your team 82 Accept that some things bosses tell you to do will be wrong 83 Accept that bosses are as scared as you are at times 84 Avoid straightjacket thinking 85 Act and take as if one of them 86 If in doubt, ask questions 87 Show you understand the viewpoint of underlings and overlings 88 Add value 89 Don't back down - be prepared to stand your ground 90 Don't play politics 91 Don't slag off other managers 92 Share what you know 93 Don't intimidate 94 Be above interdepartmental warfare 95 Show that you'll fight to the death for your team 96 Aim for respect rather than being liked 97 Do one or two things well and avoid the rest 98 Seek feedback on your performance 99 Maintain good relationships and friendships 100 Build respect - both ways - between you and your customers 101 Go the extra mile for your customers 102 Be aware of your responsibilities 103 Be straight at all times and speak the truth 104 Don't cut corners - you'll get found out 105 Find the right sounding board 106 Be in command and take charge 107 Be a diplomat for the company End game