Author: Mike Urgo
I am traveling on business this week and I have been thinking about how I wanted to do the episodes on weeks where I am on the road. I think that list blogs are fun to write and instead of filming and editing a whole “episode” on YouTube, I would just record a shorter video.
This week’s list are the five things that I wish I would have known before leading people. This list isn’t necessarily in order of importance, rather it’s in order of my learning experience and logical growth.
Like many new managers, when I was first truly promoted in a corporate role at 25 years old, I thought that somehow I needed to transform or change into what in my head me as a manager would be. I thought I needed to be some kind of boss or something. The reality is: you don’t need to be a boss. You got the job or got promoted based on who you are, you don’t need to be anything more than that. Just stick to being who you are and commit to continuous growth.
The second thing is to really think about and understand the impact you have as a manager on people’s lives. I am not trying to be dramatic, but put yourself in your shoes and think about how much you think about your manager during the week. Think about how much you may replay conversations that involve feedback from your manager. I think it’s important to pause and remember, especially as new managers / leaders. It’s also important to keep in the back of your mind regardless, because the words we use matter and the way we treat people has a greater impact than we may think.
On the flip side, if you’re like me as a new manager, you can put too much undo pressure on yourself to be perfect. The truth is, you have more grace than you think. This is especially true is you are being vulnerable and genuine with your team, your peers, and your own leadership. Again, you were promoted for a reason, people want to see you succeed. So there will be grace from those around you. The key is to take ownership of your mistakes and make a concerted effort to improve.
Remember to fight imposter syndrome, you are qualified for the role. And if you are feeling like you aren’t, there’s nothing wrong with going to your manager and checking to see what they are seeing. Ultimately that’s the reality. If you want to improve in certain areas be sure to share them too so that your leadership and peers can help you improve. You aren’t going to improve by suffering in silence.
Finally, the first four things have to do with you. But it’s not about you. It’s about your people, your peers, your leadership team and the direction you are all rowing. If your main focus is genuinely on your people and their needs, being a manager and a leader becomes infinitely easier. If you become wrapped up in yourself and bury yourself in self-doubt and anxiety, you will miss the needs of those around you.
So if you take anything away from this week’s episode, take away this: don’t worry about being the perfect leader, be true to yourself and focus on helping others.
That’s what being a leader is all about.
Remember:
- You don’t need to be a boss.
- You will have a bigger impact on people’s lives than you think.
- You have more grace than you think.
- You are qualified
- It’s not about you
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