Be the Boss You Wish You’d Had

A People-First Guide to Management

Lead with humanity and end the era of management mediocrity.

If you’ve ever vowed to be a better boss than the ones you’ve had, this book is for you. James (J.R.) Lowry and Daniela De Luca provide an essential roadmap for first-time managers and emerging leaders who refuse to repeat decades of management mediocrity. Drawing on Lowry’s experience as a former US Air Force officer, McKinsey partner, and C-suite executive and De Luca’s research on career advancement, this comprehensive guide shows how ditching outdated command-and-control habits—and leading with empathy instead—unlocks stronger performance, trust, and engagement in today’s teams.

Nearly 70 percent of American workers are disengaged, according to Gallup—a clear sign that traditional management approaches are no longer working. In response, Lowry and De Luca offer a practical framework that balances the art and science of management. They reveal the most common misconceptions and mistakes managers make, explain how the manager’s role is evolving, and address the mental and emotional preparation required to lead well (even on hard days). Through concrete, actionable practices, Be the Boss You Wish You’d Had shows you how to manage with humanity, both in team practices like delegation and coaching, and in challenges such as office politics and burnout. The result is higher team engagement, stronger productivity, and a workplace culture where people can genuinely thrive.

Becoming the leader you always wanted to work for is within your reach. With a relatable blend of research, stories, and advice, Be the Boss You Wish You’d Had is a clarion call to move beyond the “management meh” that plagues many organizations worldwide. J.R. Lowry and Daniela De Luca invite leaders to reclaim the human element of their work and, in doing so, change their own lives and the lives of those they lead.