Beth White's Reviews > Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity

This is without a doubt the best leadership book I have read to date. So much so that I have every intention of going out and buying this book that I had originally borrowed from the library so I can highlight the heck out of it to refer back to all the absolute gems of wisdom Kim Scott has to offer based on her history of management in companies such as Google and Apple.

Kim provides a vulnerable, honest and utterly refreshing view of management and the lessons she has learnt along the way. Newly into management myself, hearing her experiences as a female leader in the tech space gave a lot of really helpful insights and ways to think about my interactions with other members of my team, as well as sometimes harsh reminders of what it takes to be a manager and how there always has to be a balance between praise and giving radically candid feedback in a direct and forthright manner. This doesn’t come naturally to me after so many years of being told as a woman to be quieter or to not come across as bossy etc etc. Often words used to describe women in a way their male counterparts would not be. But the advice Kim gives for counteracting this is beautifully given and a real reminder of what is needed and respected.

I love the way this book is written in two halves. There is the first section which is more general and discusses Kim’s experiences, lessons, and the definition of “Radical Candor” and how it can and should be used in your every day life. The second half of the book gets really practical with excellent advice for a whole variety of situations, from peer review to performance review to how to go about managing the opposite gender and things to consciously be aware of.

I honestly think this book should be read by not just every manager, but also those who are part of a team and want to improve the honesty, trust, and output of the team and those around them. The front of the book has a quote from Sheryl Sandberg stating this book “Will help you inspire teams to do the best work of their lives” and now, having read the book, I can wholeheartedly agree.