Allow me to plug a new Web site by a member of the Fast Horse extended family: my wife, Monica Moses. Monica has just launched a new site, BeAGoodBoss.com, that has ideas and resources for becoming a more effective manager.

I was a boss at one point in my newspaper career, and it was a shock to find out how different the required skills were. And nobody prepared me for it or gave me any training. One Friday I was a reporter; the next Monday I was an editor with eight people reporting to me. We’ve all seen it: the top salesman is promoted to regional sales manager, but the qualities that made him a great salesman aren’t necessarily the same ones that will allow him to motivate others and guide their development.

In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever for smart leaders to get smarter about how to maximize the performance of their staff.