Leadership tips for first-time managers

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Earning a management role can be an exciting but overwhelming experience. Many first-time managers fail to realise that being a leader needs self-learning, especially when management training is not always available.

You may be an expert in your field but being a leader requires a whole new skill set. You are managing people and this is a shift in mindset.

Posting on Glassdoor, Eileen Hoenigman Meyer shares several tips on how to be a boss that your team deserves.

Communicate to build trust

While making a good first impression is important, many first-time managers are tempted to impress by either revamping the existing system or making hasty decisions without the input of the team. As you can imagine, more often than not these moves rub people the wrong way.

Not only does it make people think you do not respect your team, it actually destroys trust.

Author of the bestseller “Lead from the Heart”, Mark C. Crowley advises new managers to get to know the team. Listen to them and learn about their stories. “People resent it when you come in and you start telling them what to do without you even knowing who they are,” explains Crowley. “Instead of worrying about how your team sees you, look at them. Connect with them. Focus on them.”

Crowley adds, “Not making quick moves demonstrates maturity. It demonstrates trust. It demonstrates patience.”

Show recognition of the team’s input

Other than building trust, communication also creates a feeling of safety according to Meyer. While you don’t have to adopt every suggestion from the team, it is always good to recognise their input. It shows that you understand and value the team, and conveys the message that providing input is worth the risk.

Crowley adds, “Making people feel good has a very powerful effect on their motivation.”

Stick to your true management self

Another mistake managers often make is that they feel the need to take on a manufactured persona. Meyer advises managers to find their true management selves and stick to them, simply because it is hard to hide your true self amidst all the challenges of leadership.

Being authentic and confident are key to a leader as the best leaders are people who know themselves, according to Crowley.

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