Individual Performer to Manager: A Practical Guide to Career Advancement into Management

By Norm E. Oshiro

Leadership is rarely easy or glamorous. Over a 32-year career, Norm Oshiro experienced this first-hand. He was once told by a customer, "Why are you here? You're not qualified." His hands shook with anxiety at the start of presentations. He conducted unpleasant one-on-one meetings with employees, experienced being ignored by colleagues who avoided eye contact with him, faced demanding customers, called all-hands meetings to deliver bad news, and bore the heavy responsibility of conducting layoffs.

These raw and real-life experiences, along with his lessons learned, inspired the writing of his book, "Individual Performer to Manager."

This book is not theory, and it's not sugar-coated-it's the candid account of how someone who often doubted himself grew into a more confident and effective leader. Through vivid stories of his leadership experiences, Oshiro shares the struggles, fears, failures, and achievements that shaped his management career. Readers will see not just the polished outcomes, but also the messy, emotional trials that most leaders avoid discussing openly.

Above all, the book shows that you don't need to be the loudest or most confident person in the room to succeed. Those with integrity, empathy, a willingness to work hard and hold people accountable, and who persevere, can become capable and effective leaders. This book explores each of these principles-not in theory, but in action-through the challenges, mistakes, and successes he experienced first-hand.

Norm was born and raised in Hawaii, where he surfed, spearfished, and attended college. His career began there, where he answered a tiny ad in the Sunday classifieds that led him to Electronic Data Systems (EDS), a Fortune 500 company founded by Ross Perot. He had never heard of EDS. Starting as a computer programmer, he later transferred to the mainland and, to his surprise, advanced to supervisor, project manager, manager, and went on to lead EDS's 192-person Southern California Systems Engineering/Solution Center in Los Angeles. (HP acquired EDS in 2008.)

Now retired, Oshiro shares his lessons to help guide the next generation of professionals and managers who may doubt themselves, just as he once did.

Individual Performer to Manager has received praise as a career and management guide by:
⭐Publishers Weekly/BookLife (Jan 2020, with a sponsored author Q&A in their June 29, 2020, Edition).
⭐Kirkus (among the top 10% of Indie reviewed books, Nov 2019).
⭐The San Francisco Book Review (Star Rating 5 of 5 ★★★★★, Dec 2019).

www.NormOshiro.com

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1729634834
• ISBN13: 9781729634837
• Release Date: December 2018
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.7" x 9.6"