New managers, brimming with enthusiasm, step into their roles, eager to prove their value. They desire their superiors to acknowledge the wisdom behind their appointment to this leadership position.
Simultaneously, they strive to earn the respect of their team members and cultivate a collaborative environment that functions seamlessly.
However, new leaders soon realize that mastering all their leadership skills at once is impractical. They must prioritize the competencies most critical to their current situation.
Remember, leadership development is a continuous journey. Therefore, there will be opportunities in the future to tackle other essential management skills.
So, whether you’re a first-time manager charting your course or a company designing leadership training programs for new managers, here are five vital areas to begin your development:
1. Communicating: A core leadership skill for new managers
Consider communication skills the lifeblood of leadership. Workers depend on you to convey information. They want clear priorities, defined expectations, and regular feedback. Without these things, a chaotic, frustrating work environment results.
While the ability to communicate will remain an essential skill throughout one’s career, starting strong is particularly important. In fact, just as you are concerned about your new role, those you manage are concerned about how they fare in your book. Just as you are worried about your new role, those you manage are concerned about how they fare in your book.
They want to know if they are doing things “right.” Hearing praise sets minds at ease. Receiving constructive criticism (delivered tactfully) keeps direct reports from second-guessing where they need improvement. Workers generally prefer it over silence.
Building relationships through communication
In addition to workplace necessities such as conveying instructions, deadlines, procedures, and metrics, communication also serves a vital role in building relationships.
Regular 1:1 chats enable getting to know workers as individuals. This information helps with connection, engagement, and trust. Make the conversation a two-way street where you seek feedback on your performance.
You can learn valuable things about improving your leadership style.
“When considering the most crucial leadership skill a new manager should cultivate, I firmly believe in the power of effective communication,” says Gianluca Ferruggia, general manager at DesignRush. “Unlike other managerial duties, communication is not an ability that can be postponed or delegated.”
“It underpins every interaction, decision, and action taken in a managerial role. In my experience leading at DesignRush, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of clear, robust communication.”
“Whether it’s explicitly outlining project objectives, discussing employee performance, or simply connecting with team members on a personal level, effective communication has been critical in driving our success.”
Be sure your communication efforts include regularly checking in with your boss. Clarity about the mission, priorities, procedures, and goals gives you confidence about meeting expectations.
2. Observing and active listening
Some new leaders come in ready to take center stage. Some rush into making changes, believing that asserting their authority will solidify their position as the one “in charge.” However, these actions often backfire, creating fear and alienation among team members.
Problem-solving and decision-making are essential skills for a manager. However, learning the lay of the land first contributes to better outcomes. Walk around, examine procedures and interactions, and learn about company culture.
And ask questions! Workers take pride in explaining what they do and will appreciate your interest.
As you talk with team members, engage in active listening. This crucial component of emotional intelligence involves making a solid effort to understand what others are saying and feeling.
Give the conversation your undivided attention, including putting away your phone. Then, paraphrase and summarize to ensure understanding. Finally, aim to not only hear the words but also empathize with the speaker’s thoughts and feelings.
Pay attention to tone and nonverbal cues. Indeed, they offer additional insight into the person’s thoughts.
“New managers need active listening. This is the most fundamental skill,” says Milly Barker, tech entrepreneur and the founder of RemotePad. “It’s about understanding what’s behind them.”
“When your team feels heard, they trust you more. Trust leads to better decisions. Better decisions lead to success. Active listening also helps spot issues early. You can address them before they become big problems.”
Adds Alex Johnson, executive leader at Man and Van Star, “The biggest mistake many new managers make is thinking their job description requires them to have answers for everything.”
“However, leadership is about something other than being right or knowing everything. It’s about creating an environment where people can work together to find solutions. Listening becomes vital.”
3. Building trust and respect
People new to management may believe that the title alone brings respect. Over time, they come to realize that proper regard is earned rather than bestowed.
Great leaders build a psychologically safe work environment where employees feel free to be themselves. Moreover, these supervisors seek out opinions and set a tone that outstanding ideas can come from anyone, anytime
They shut down those who belittle others, improving innovation, teamwork, and productivity.
Other positive ways new managers gain trust and respect include:
Keeping their word
Admitting when they are wrong or made a mistake
Being honest when they don’t know something and finding out the answer
Acting as a role model through courteous words and behavior
Sharing credit
Recognizing and appreciating the efforts and talents of others
Establishing a level playing field and avoiding favoritism
Enforcing rules equally across the board
Talking to a worker about a problem privately rather than in front of others
Direct reports sometimes treat new managers disrespectfully. For instance, offenders may see you as inexperienced, incompetent, or significantly older or younger. Additionally, some like to see how much the newbie tolerates.
Whatever the reason, new managers cannot allow insubordination and similar bad behavior. Doing so will make it persist, and other team members will lose respect.
First, call the person in for a private chat. Then, see if you can get to the root of the issue. Throughout the conversation, stay calm and factual. Clearly, ask that the behavior cease immediately. Finally, if it continues, follow the company’s progressive discipline plan.
4. Empowering and coaching
New managers sometimes attempt to do everything themselves. However, this behavior is unsustainable and denies employees the chance to grow. In contrast, engagement thrives when workers take ownership of doable tasks.
“Many new managers were promoted due to being extremely good at their job. When they become a manager, they want to do even more than before.”
“They want to show they can get it all done, and there is a reason they were made a manager. This will backfire,” says Angel Costanza, COO at Beck Bode.
Instead of trying to be superhuman, figure out what to delegate. By doing so, you’ll free up much-needed time for other matters, and additionally, team members will expand their skill set.
“Great employees want to do their best work and want to help,” Costanza says. “When the manager keeps the work and does everything, the employees think they want all the credit.”
“This is where breakdowns can happen super quick. Delegating to employees empowers them. It helps build trust from the very beginning, which is a key thing you want to develop.”
The importance of avoiding micromanagement
Successful managers also resist the urge to micro-manage. Instead, they treat workers as competent adults accountable for their own performance. Furthermore, outstanding supervisors act as a sounding board and a source of knowledge, not a hand-holder.
“At Premier Staff, our emphasis on empowerment has translated into tangible business success. We’ve grown from a small startup to an industry leader in luxury event staffing in just a few years.”
“Our focus on empowerment has led to exceptional retention rates. In the first quarter of this year, we had a 99.6% show-up rate for over 300 shifts — a testament to our team’s engagement and commitment,” says CEO and founder Daniel Meursing.
“When you empower your team, you’re showing them that you trust their judgment and abilities,” Meursing says. “This fosters a sense of loyalty and motivation that’s invaluable in any industry.”
“By giving team members opportunities to take on new responsibilities, you’re investing in their growth. This benefits the individual and strengthens your organization as a whole.”
The impact of coaching and mentorship for new managers
In a similar vein, influential people managers realize the power of coaching. They spend time figuring out what motivates the whole team as well as individual contributors.
They offer constructive feedback and address skill gaps that hinder achievement. Through their mentorship, employees gain self-awareness and confidence in their competencies.
“From my experience as CEO of BackupVault, I believe coaching and mentoring is one of the most crucial leadership skills to develop early on,” says Rob Stevenson. “This skill not only helps nurture your team’s growth and development but also fosters a positive and productive work environment.”
“By investing time in coaching, you’re helping individuals unlock their full potential, which in turn drives the organization’s overall success. It creates a continuous learning and improvement culture where team members feel valued and motivated. Effective mentoring also builds trust and strengthens relationships, making navigating challenges easier and driving team cohesion.”
5. Organizing
This last key skill might not be the most glamorous aspect of being a new leader. However, it is one of the most critical. Simply put, managers need to manage. Time, project, and resource management are crucial, and failure to manage them affects everything.
“One of the most important things new managers can do for themselves is stay organized,” says Soumya Mahapatra, CEO of Essenvia. “They’ll have a lot of new information to keep track of names, appointments, performance figures, etc.”
“Processing all of that information, keeping up with meetings, and knowing people’s names will give them the baseline access to information they need to succeed in their role.”
Those you oversee and those above you all depend on your ability to wear many hats simultaneously. Therefore, effective managers diligently work on perfecting their organizational skills.
They learn what “works” to stay on top of things, from Post-it notes to fancy computer programs.
In conclusion, these efforts make the work environment run smoother and enhance a manager’s reputation, demonstrating essential leadership skills for new managers. Leaders who have their act together inspire confidence!
More Resources:
The top technical and soft skills that look good on a resume
Leadership development goals: Your roadmap to success
Advice for new managers: Dos and don’ts of leadership
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