Description
Becoming a manager for the first time is often a reward for being excellent at your job. You were a star performer, a skilled expert, and now you have been given the responsibility of leading a team. However, the skills that made you a great individual contributor are not the same skills that will make you a great leader. This is the difficult truth many new managers face. They are often promoted without any formal training, left to figure things out through trial and error. This approach is risky, as a manager holds immense influence over their team’s success, happiness, and even their mental health. To become the kind of manager everyone deserves, you must learn a new set of practices centered not on your own performance, but on fostering the greatness in others.
The most fundamental shift for any new leader is the redefinition of success. Your focus must move away from your personal accomplishments and toward the achievements of your team. Many new managers fall into the trap of trying to be the “super-hero” who saves the day. When a project is struggling or a deal is about to fall through, they jump in and fix it themselves. While this might solve the immediate problem, it robs the team of a valuable learning opportunity. It subtly communicates a lack of trust and prevents team members from developing their own skills. A great manager understands that their new role is that of a coach, not a star player. Success is no longer your impressive sales record; it is the collective success of a confident, capable, and growing team.
Building a strong foundation of trust with each person you lead is critical, and the most powerful tool for this is the regular one-on-one meeting. This is not a time for status updates or project reports; those can be handled in other ways. The one-on-one is protected time dedicated to the individual. It is an opportunity to listen, understand their professional goals, ask about challenges they are facing, and show that you care about them as a person beyond their work output. When employees feel seen and heard, their engagement and motivation soar. These conversations allow you to provide personalized coaching and support, uncovering small issues before they become large problems. The most important skill to practice in these meetings is listening. By giving your full attention and resisting the urge to immediately solve every problem, you empower your team members to find their own solutions.
People do their best work when they understand why it matters. It is a manager’s job to connect the team’s daily tasks to the company’s larger vision. An employee who only sees their work as a series of instructions will never feel a true sense of ownership. But an employee who understands how their contribution helps achieve a meaningful goal becomes infused with purpose. To do this, you must first be clear on the company’s main priorities yourself. Then, share this vision with your team and, most importantly, involve them in setting the goals. When a team helps design its own objectives, its members become far more committed to the outcome. Regular, brief check-ins can help maintain momentum and keep everyone aligned, reinforcing the connection between their effort and the bigger picture.
Feedback is one of a manager’s most essential, and often most feared, responsibilities. When delivered poorly, it can crush confidence and damage relationships. But when done right, it is a powerful gift that guides growth. Think of feedback not as criticism, but as a tool for development. There are two main types. Reinforcing feedback highlights what someone is doing well, encouraging them to continue that positive behavior. Redirecting feedback addresses behavior that isn’t meeting expectations. The key to giving effective redirecting feedback is to prepare. Be specific about the behavior you observed and calmly explain its impact on the team or a project. Focus on the action, not the person. Then, give them time to process what you’ve said and work together to create a plan for improvement. This approach turns a difficult conversation into a constructive and supportive one.
Change is an unavoidable part of work life, and it often brings anxiety and uncertainty. As a leader, your role is to be a source of stability and guide your team through the turmoil. Most workplace changes follow a predictable emotional arc, starting with shock, moving to anxiety and resistance, then gradually shifting toward acceptance and, finally, a new normal. An effective manager acknowledges and addresses the emotional side of change, rather than ignoring it. Keep the lines of communication wide open, sharing information as soon as you have it, even if you don’t have all the answers. Involve the team in planning how to navigate the changes, as this helps restore a sense of control. By leading with empathy and clarity, you can guide your team through the disruption more quickly and help them emerge on the other side more resilient than before.
Finally, you cannot be a great manager if you are running on empty. Professional burnout is incredibly common, and as a leader, you must model a healthy and sustainable approach to work. This starts with managing your energy, not just your time. Pay attention to your natural rhythms throughout the day. Schedule your most challenging, high-focus tasks for the periods when you feel most energized, and save routine tasks for when your energy is lower. This simple practice will dramatically increase your effectiveness. Furthermore, you must learn the power of saying “no.” As a manager, you will be flooded with requests. To avoid getting overwhelmed, filter every request through your core leadership priorities. If a task directly supports your main goals—like developing your team or driving innovation—give it your full attention. If it doesn’t, decline it politely. Protecting your energy and focus is not selfish; it is essential for long-term success.
