New managers often have difficulty gaining respect and showing their authority. It’s something they will likely learn over time, but that doesn’t mean a concerted effort shouldn’t be put into becoming a better leader. If you are a new manager and you want to excel, use these seven tips to lead your team to success.
1: Take a Leadership Course
To become a better leader, you should start with a good education. You don’t necessarily need to do a management degree to do this, though, as there are plenty of online leadership courses that will help you hone your skills and learn what it means to be a great manager. An online executive education course is particularly useful, as you will receive a well-rounded education in leadership without having to leave your desk.
2: Listen, Listen, Listen
Listening is a critical skill for all leaders. It’s not just about hearing the words your team says to you – it’s about understanding their meaning and showing that you are paying attention. By being a better listener, you will gain the respect of your employees while gaining a better insight into their perspectives. You may even consider leadership keynote speakers to help build your listening skills.
3: Set Expectations Early On
It’s fine to let your team know that you are a new manager, but you need to make sure you have respect from everyone, and that means setting strong expectations straight away. Otherwise, you might end up with employees that think they can walk all over you.
4: Get to Know the Team
It is far harder to be a good leader if you don’t understand the team that you are leading. To succeed, then, you should make it your mission to get to know each person as an individual. Learn their talents, flaws, work methods – everything you need to know to be able to delegate tasks better and manage each person.
5: Build Trust
You need the team to trust you if you want them to respect you as a leader. To do this, make sure you are honest, open, and stick to what you say. If you tell the team they can leave early on one Friday, for example, don’t go back on your word.
It goes both ways – you need to trust the team, too. Too much micromanagement will annoy staff and decrease productivity levels. Instead, trust people enough to do their jobs.
6: Always Stay Professional
Professionalism is a must-have trait for all managers and leaders. To maintain professionalism, you need to dress, act, and speak appropriately at all times. Making mistakes is human, but bad language, disorganization, and a disheveled appearance won’t help you gain the respect of your employees.
7: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Advice
While you might be a leader, that doesn’t mean you know everything, so make sure you ask for advice when you need it. That might mean asking your team what they prefer in a manager or asking other business leaders some tips on managing better. The more you know, the better you’ll be.
Being a great manager takes a lot of skill, and these seven tips will help you get there sooner rather than later.
