The school of hard knocks approach to the challenges of managing the team you are given. Bare Knuckle People Management helps you to develop strategies to optimize the performance of the team by applying assessing the strengths and weakness of each member of the group. The good news is that all of this advice is actionable now for managers—not just at annual reviews or after expensive assessment surveys!

―Kevin A. Schulman, MD, MBA, Director of Health Sector Management Program, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business

Bare Knuckle People Management is a clever, straight-forward, practical guide to understanding and managing each of your people to get the most out of them. A refreshing break from ‘leadership books’ that insist the key to management success is a one-size-fits-all formula. Finally, a book that speaks directly to the manager for the real world.

—Christopher Heck, Senior Vice President of the National Basketball Association

The authors of Bare Knuckle People Management know successful people management is easier than a lot of managers make it. Kulisek and O’Neil’s no-nonsense insights are not only amusing but on the mark. If you are a manager looking to improve the performance of your team, someone who just became a manager or think you would like to become a manager, you will be glad you read this book.

—Paul Mott, Head of Club Services, Major League Soccer

Forget Leadership Training! This is how to hit the ground running as a manager. Every sentence provides realistic, practical, and applicable advice for today.

—Ivan Dunmire, EVP, Director of Human Resources, MPG

Bare Knuckle People Management is the top solution for the most common people-management issues. It provides the specific distinctions needed to turn your management into leadership. Read this book and watch your teams succeed!

—Justin Sachs, bestselling author of The Power of Persistence and Your Mailbox Is Full

Coaching a professional basketball team is not different from managing a team of corporate employees. You have stars, utility players and bench warmers, all of whom thrive when their coach tailors his approach to their unique talents, weaknesses and contributions to the team. Bare Knuckle People Management speaks directly to managers who have been frustrated by the notion that all employees need to be treated equally and with kids’ gloves.

—Mike D’Antoni, Head Coach of the New York Knicks

Unlike many management books, Bare Knuckle People Management treats the readers like they actually have brains. The authors, O’Neil and Kulisek, show managers how to use what they already know and listen to their gut instincts in order to best manage their diverse workforces.

—Clifford A. Teller, Executive Managing Director of Global Investment Banking, Maxim Group