Forewords --  Preface -- 1. The “manager” as a species 2. Have the power, do the thing -- 3. “A Daniel come to judgment” -- 4. Communication: hearing what isn't said -- 5. Inescapable networks and relationships of mutuality -- 6. The strength of ten -- 7. The red badge of courage -- 8. “Praise loudly, blame softly”: The art of motivation -- 9. “No confidence without integrity -- 10. A touch of class “A man for all seasons” Classy is as classy does.

What makes a “good” manager? This is a book by a manager about managers but it is not just for managers. It is for anyone and for everyone who is interested in the way people – and not just managers - behave and function around the world. Based on actual experience the title “Essence of a Manager” is a succinct distillation of what this book is about. It is not a management manual and yet it is a map for navigation and a guide for behavior which can be valuable for practicing managers at all levels. It formulates a sound thesis to describe the qualities needed in a “good” manager and builds up from elemental qualities to develop a holistic view of a good manager. Nine fundamental attributes are proposed as being necessary and sufficient to describe a “good” manager. It is applied management philosophy for a thinking manager and deals with the fundamental drivers which lie deeper than language or culture and which control human behavior.