Being a new manager is tough.
Not only do most employees think that they have a bad boss, but many employees are so disengaged that taking on a manager’s job is downright treacherous these days. Regardless of where the fault lies, new managers can learn valuable lessons from those who have successfully managed before them.
While every situation is unique and there are many traits of a “best selling” manager, there are three outstanding traits that I have observed in my career:
- Trust and Be Trustworthy. As corny as it seems, my best bosses all trusted me and I trusted them. When push came to shove, I had confidence that they had the character to do the right thing in the right way. I also knew that they had the competence to help me and that they trusted me to do what I said I would do. If you want to succeed as a new manager, start with building and giving trust through everything that you do.
- Put Your People First. Every great boss I knew consistently did what was right for me and the organization over their personal agenda. Because of this, they earned my loyalty so I, in turn, would do anything to help them succeed; this made us both successful.
- Guide the Way. My best bosses also helped to provide great clarity about where we were headed and what we needed to do to get there. They consistently walked the talk and provided inspiration and motivation to perform at my peak. I felt fully appreciated and recognized.
