Trailer: Boss Class Season 2
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How many times in your life have you had a great boss? You're unlikely to need lots of fingers to count them. Your hand may well remain balled into a fist. It doesn't have to be this way. The ingredients of a decent manager are not a secret. They can be learned. If you'd like to become a better boss, or just pass on some advice to the idiots above you, there's hope. I'm Andrew Palmer and I write The Economist's weekly column on management.

I'm back with the second season of Boss Class. In the first season, I learned how to hire a team, how to motivate staff, and how to run a meeting well. This time, I've been gathering tips from inside some of the world's best-known companies. I'll learn about innovation at Google, culture at Novo Nordisk, and decision-making at Levi's.

I'll hear from CEOs about how they handle crises. I don't think there's any textbook telling you that it's a great idea to reorganize the whole company two months into a pandemic. How they test new ideas. I would say for every pumpkin spice latte, there were 10 other drinks that are no longer on the menu board. I get expert advice on how to negotiate. I don't generally get too angry. I get tough.

how to give better presentations. Listen, I am deaf and I'm deaf because I have listened to so many shitty speeches from Silicon Valley tech executives. And I'll be forced to have a go myself. Beautiful. Give me one more. I'm going to not look at you this time. Boss Class Season 2 will be out weekly, starting in May. You can go back and listen to Season 1 right now for free.

To listen to the new season, you'll need to be a subscriber. Search Economist Podcasts Plus for our best offer.