Book of the Week: “The Art of Managing Humans: Management Practices that Actually Work” by Tsvika Abramovitch

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting and felt the air shift—because someone spoke up, or didn’t—The Art of Managing Humans understands that moment. This isn’t a book about how to “run” people. It’s a book about how to work with them, in real time, with real consequences. Tsvika Abramovitch draws from decades of field experience—not spreadsheets or slogans—and what emerges is something closer to field anthropology than a typical leadership manual.

Rather than start with theories, Abramovitch starts with practice: he led teams, faced mutinies, coached managers, and stayed up through more than a few sleepless nights. He developed what he calls the “Seesaw Model,” and though it sounds gentle, it’s grounded in the weighty reality of human tension. Like an actual seesaw, the model thrives on motion, tension, and balance. What’s brilliant is not the metaphor, but the lived detail: how transparent communication during layoffs changed the emotional tone of an entire branch, how roundtable conversations defused brewing resentment, and how a strike was handled with neither panic nor aggression—but with strategic poise that turned confrontation into restructuring.

A lesser book might rely on clever phrases or motivational stories, but here, emotional intelligence is earned, not asserted. The tone is pragmatic but compassionate. There’s no magical thinking, no promises that everyone can be “transformed” into an ideal employee. Instead, Abramovitch focuses on what can be influenced: relationship habits, structural incentives, the daily cadence of trust-building.

Scientific research consistently shows that people don’t leave companies—they leave managers. This book quietly reinforces that truth through anecdotes that never quite resolve cleanly, because human relationships don’t tie up in bows. At one point, a call center sees an 80% staff turnover rate. The solution? Not perks. Not policies. A shift in how direct managers engaged with team members on a personal level. That scene alone could teach a semester of business school.

There’s plenty here for organizational thinkers, but this is not for readers looking for checklists or formulaic shortcuts. It’s for those willing to pause, rethink, and reenter conversations with more context and less ego. People who believe that meetings should be efficient won’t like how much Abramovitch values listening over resolution. Readers who already suspect that good management looks a lot like mentorship will find themselves nodding throughout.

This isn’t a book for beginners who want rules. Nor is it for command-and-control managers hoping to retrofit compassion into a rigid structure. It’s for those in the middle: leaders who know that every decision shapes a relationship, and every relationship shapes outcomes.

There are no superheroes in these pages—just professionals choosing, sometimes imperfectly, to lead with awareness. The fact that Abramovitch writes with warmth but no self-congratulation makes the lessons land all the harder. The Art of Managing Humans might not change your philosophy overnight. But it will change the way you interpret your next team meeting. Or silence. Or raised eyebrow. And for that, it earns a permanent place on the desk—not the shelf.

Books for Humanity Global’s Book of the Week Award

Yes, this book deserves the Books for Humanity Global’s Book of the Week Award. It is not only highly rated—it is exceptional. It shifts the culture of leadership away from control and toward connection. The book makes a quiet yet vital case for dignity in the workplace—dignity not as a buzzword, but as a shared foundation. Its universal appeal, inclusive tone, and actionable compassion make it worthy of global recognition.

About the Book of the Week Award

Discover our carefully chosen Book of the Week—a compelling read that offers fresh perspectives and enriches the human experience. Here, we highlight a unique book that captures the essence of storytelling, whether through gripping narratives, thought-provoking themes, or inspiring characters. Get into our selection and explore why it’s a must-read for book lovers across the globe. Don’t miss out on our picks that celebrate the power of literature to connect, uplift, and transform.

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