Updated January 29th, 2024

Have you been recently promoted and are scrolling through the internet to find the EXACT steps to help you succeed in your new role? Well, look no more because, in this blog post, I’m about to share some of the most important things you need to know to kick off your role with the right feet!

But before we move forward with all this valuable information, hear me out:

If you’re looking to uplevel your leadership capacity, the best place to start is by watching my free training. In it, I walk you through the five pillars of my Elevate Team Performance Framework—the roadmap for becoming an effective leader who builds high-performing teams. Click here to sign up and watch it on demand for free!

First-Time Manager Training

If you’ve just been promoted to your first leadership role, it’s common that other than your excitement, you’re feeling freaked out – and how can you not right? – You’re about to lead a team, and others expect results from you. Plus, there’s the added pressure of making a name for yourself, especially if you’re starting fresh in a new organization.

But here’s what I want you to remember: you are in this role for a reason. Your bosses chose you because you not only complete all the checkmarks but are totally capable of enduring any challenges that come your way and transforming them into opportunities.

So that’s the mentality I want you to encourage: You got this and have everything you need to succeed in your role.

The second thing I want you to know is that you don’t have to make it all alone. Of course, your bosses expect you to step ahead, take a bit of initiative, and show what you’re capable of, but at the same time, remember that it’s okay to ask for help. And these are my favorite ways to encourage you to do it:

1. Find a mentor within or outside your organization and seek guidance to help you achieve your goals.
2. Seek new learning opportunities, look for ways to train yourself, and develop new skills and abilities to succeed.
3. Develop a plan to ensure you build on your strengths while still doing your job and delivering the expected results.
4. Compile valuable information, so you have everything you need on hand.

Since we’re talking about information, let me give you a preview of what I will share. Behold: the first-time manager training for complete success, which includes:

1. 4 avoidable mistakes MOST new managers make (so you don’t make any of them!)
2. The 3 most underrated traits of impactful leaders.
3. What separates Mediocre Managers from Life-Changing LEADERS?
4. Facing difficult conversations as a new manager.
5. The ONLY way to build confidence as a new manager.
6. You will never succeed as a leader if you do this.

Let’s get to it!

1. 4 Avoidable Mistakes Most New Managers Make (So You Don’t Make Any Of Them!)

I figured we started by laying out all there and learning from other people’s experiences – or I should say bad experiences– so you don’t make any of these mistakes. The thing with new managers is that sometimes they want to do everything right, and they end up making many mistakes that have many repercussions for their teams.

So here are the four mistakes I want you to avoid:

1. Telling people what to do- it never works! Contrary to what everyone says, your job is not to be authoritarian but rather to support and help your team succeed.
2. Not adapting your style and communication to meet the person’s or moment’s needs. Every person in a team is different, and having the capacity to adjust your style and communication to their needs will help you further in your role.
3. Allowing your empathy and compassion to lower the standards. It is one thing to be an empathetic person and the other to allow people to overstep your boundaries or you have to reduce your standards because you feel bad about them. All you have to do is learn the proper balance between being an empath and keeping people accountable for their results.
4. Getting sucked into the drama rather than dealing with the facts; listen, your job is to focus on the solution rather than the problem. It will save you tons of headaches and help you determine the best outcome for your situation.

Get all the details in this video here.

2. The 3 Most Underrated Traits Of Impactful Leaders

Look, most people talk about leadership in the following ways: “Have integrity!” “Delegate!” ”Communicate with confidence!” And in my mind, I immediately go—if it’d only be that easy!

To make an impact in your leadership role, I want you to work on developing these three traits:

1. Making good decisions is a trait that will allow you to provide stability to your team and create an environment for success.
2. Being flexible means knowing things can change, and sometimes, the plan will not turn out as you expected. However, those mishaps or twists along the way will give you all the experiences and opportunities for improvement.
3. Using story-telling to help you illustrate your point and get your people on the same page as you!

Find all the information you need right here:

3. What Separates Mediocre Managers From Life-Changing Leaders?

If you’ve been searching for the difference between being a manager and a life-changing leader, we recently updated this blog post with all the information you need to make an impact and a difference in your role.

Keep in mind that a life-changing leader is someone who:

• Creates a difference in their team and helps them reach new heights.
• Achieves results while still looking for improvement opportunities.
• Has a moving-forward mindset and always focuses on the solutions rather than the problems.

Don’t worry, I dissect the life-changing leader profile here:

4. Facing Difficult Conversations As A New Manager

Raise your hand if you love avoiding conflict as much as possible because it gets overwhelming, and you want to be liked as a leader.

Well, you’re not alone.

But one vital step in your first-time manager training is facing conflict, stepping into awkwardness, and talking about the elephant in the room.

I find it similar to going through a tunnel, where everything is dark and unknown, but in reality, there’s a light at the end of it, and that is the plenty of opportunities you’ll encounter once you face your fear of having difficult conversations:

1. Team motivation
2. Committed team leaders
3. Achieving more results

Taking this step bravely will take you further in your career and help you develop new leadership skills and traits.

5. The Only Way To Build Confidence As A New Manager

I’m leaving the best two things for the end because I wanted to share the basics before moving further.

One of the most frequently asked questions is, “How can I become more confident in my role?” I’m happy to report that confidence, like any other skill, is totally acquirable.

To become a confident manager, you need to first:

• Debunk some common myths or beliefs that are keeping you down or without making any progress.
• Focus on your strengths and determine how those traits can help you become more confident.
• Make a plan. Like everything in leadership, having a plan with the specific tasks you need will help you advance your career.
• Practice your new skill to get better at it!

Get all the tips in this video here:

6. You Will Never Succeed As A Leader If You Do This

I wanted to leave this as the final point because if you’ve read and watched every resource I shared up to this point, you have the training you need as a first-time leader to succeed.

But there’s one trait that can hold you back: passiveness.

Think of passiveness as the bad seed that can ruin your whole crop: its effects on you and your team can have many repercussions.

To avoid this, try to own everything you do and ensure you get the most out of your role. When we take ownership, we can have a hand in the outcome instead of allowing the circumstances to drag us along for the ride.

I share everything with you in this video here:

I hope this was helpful. I wanted to create a library of great resources for you to keep on hand in your leadership journey as a first-time manager.

Remember that this training will only work if you actually do it. So, take one step at a time, plan what you need to do, and most importantly, remember not to do it alone: get someone to keep you accountable and help you succeed in your role.

Remember to pin this article so you can refer to it whenever you need it, and comment below with any questions about these topics.