What's the best way to succeed at work? Make sure your boss succeeds first.

Today's typical workplace may be less formal and more inclusive than those of the past, but one thing hasn't changed: The boss is the boss.

A veteran of the US Army, William Smullen spent 50 years leading - and being led by - some of the toughest people in the business. Over his career, he served at every level from platoon to division - and at the highest levels in the Pentagon as well. In business terms, that's the equivalent of running a very small business to sitting in a corporate C-suite.

Smullen's final public-service assignment was chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. As chief of staff, one of his main responsibilities was to ensure Secretary Powell kept his positive image and was successful in everything he did.

Now, he shares the lessons he learned working in some of the world's most demanding organizations. In Ways and Means for Managing Up, he tells you everything you need to know to effectively "manage your manager" in ways that help both you and your boss succeed and rise within your company. In 50 short yet informative chapters, Smullen shares his hard-won insight, such as:

• View your relationship with your boss as a partnership
• Think of your boss as a brand
• Never allow your boss to be surprised
• Help your boss manage risk or crisis
• Be a strategic asset your boss counts on

Whether you're good friends with your manager or have trouble coexisting in the same office, your success depends on his or her success. This has always been true, and it will always be true.

You serve yourself well when you serve your boss well. Take your career to new heights by learning and applying the lessons of Ways and Means for Managing Up. It can serve as a survival guide, a road map, or a blueprint for people at every level in an organization.

Praise for Ways and Means for Managing Up:

"A terrific book by one of the masters of truth-telling in the American military - wise, forceful, and a must-read for anyone who has a boss. My hat is off to Bill Smullen, and yours will be too when you read what he has learned over the decades." (Bob Woodward, associate editor, The Washington Post)

"Bill Smullen's unique experience as a member of the U.S. Army and as chief of staff for former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State Colin Powell gives him some great lessons to pass on. I highly recommend Ways and Means for Managing Up." (Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University's Hall of Fame head basketball coach)

"Colonel Smullen has worked for some of the smartest and most demanding bosses in modern American history, most notably General Colin Powell, for many years. In this book Smullen offers an invaluable guide for how to succeed inside any organization. It is a guide that is both tremendously wise and, in some places, laugh-out-loud funny." (Peter Bergen, CNN's national security analyst and the author of Manhunt: The Ten-Year Search for Bin Laden from 9/11 to Abbottabad)