Raise your hand if you are feeling a lot of anxiety and fear around your role….‍♀️

If you raised your hand I want you to know that you are not alone.

The stress and uncertainty about what’s in store for you and how you will perform is something that most new managers experience.

And if you are currently in the role but new to it, I’m almost positive you still are struggling with those feelings of self doubt.

Unfortunately, it’s not something that most people talk about, because no one wants to feel incompetent which leaves us feeling isolated in our fears.

I know I certainly did. I felt like all the managers around me had it together and I was a hot mess all the time.

BUT, here’s the truth – despite what it may appear to be no one has it all together.

That’s why I created this video specifically and this channel as a source of information for you so you always know you are not alone, not even in your fears.

It’s also why I created The New Manager Accelerator Program which is a blueprint that will help you chip away at some of those fears and onboard yourself into the world of management quickly.

In this video I’ll be discussing 4 of the most common fears that new managers face and how you can take action regardless of the unease you might be feeling on the inside.

Would you prefer to read rather than watch? Not to worry! You can read the blog post below.

But first, to really help you stand out in your new role I highly recommend downloading the New Manager Starter Kit.  A free downloadable interactive guide to help you show up and stand out and take the right action steps.

Here are four of the most known reasons that new managers experience anxiety and how you can take action.

Fear of not knowing enough

I think that this fear is normal. I mean you have never been in this role before so to have a fear of the unknown makes sense.

We also tend to have this picture in our mind of what management is.

We might think power, authority, someone that has all the answers. But that’s not really the case.

The truth of the matter is that we all have gaps in our knowledge. Nobody has all the answers.

Being aware of that truth is really helpful because a) you will be more willing to just say you don’t know when you don’t know and b) accepting that there are gaps will open the door for you to get the help you need where you need it, rather than being completely closed off to getting the feedback and seeking out assistance.

Action Step

Write down the gaps that you are currently struggling with or what keeps you up at night and then write down a list of people you could approach to help you fill these gaps.

A fear of uncomfortable situations

When I first became a manager, I was very much aware of the fact that I would be in numerous uncomfortable situations. One in particular that made me uncomfortable was giving feedback.

I was a nervous wreck each and every time that I had to give feedback or in other words step out of my comfort zone.

The good news is that it did eventually become easier the more I did it and it will for you too.

The trick is to not just jump in head first but to take baby steps. It’s kinda like dipping your toe in the ocean.

You know when you want to jump in the water but the water is hella cold so you just dip a toe in until you’re comfortable getting right in?

Well it’s the same thing with stepping out of your comfort zone.

Action Step

Practice.

The more you practice stepping out of the comfort zone the better – because each and every time you are overcoming a challenge the more you will see it’s not so bad and that you have some sort of control over the way that you enter it.

The fear of not being enough

Self doubt and imposter syndrome are high on the list of fears that honestly that we all have. ‘

Unfortunately it is not something that with age or more experience goes away. We all experience it.

The key is to learn to push past it and take action regardless of those feelings. Because if you don’t then there are some serious consequences.

Action Step

Focus outwards instead of inwards.

If your focus is on how you can serve your team, support your boss and the company then you are less likely to be thinking about yourself in the context of how you look to others. This is because you will be so busy trying to be of service and making the lives of those around you better.

The fear of saying no

It can be a pretty scary thing saying no whether that be to your team or superiors, particularly if you are a people pleaser.

But sometimes you have to say no to certain things otherwise you run the risk of stretching yourself too thin, not living up to your commitments and delivering subpar work.

Action Step

Get clear.

One of the keys to overcoming the fear of saying no is actually clarity.

Clarity = Power

When you are clear on what your role is, what your team’s mission is and the expectations are – then it’s much easier to say no to the thing that doesn’t align – even if it comes from your boss.

So if you find yourself running around saying yes to everything that hits your inbox then maybe it’s because you are not clear enough on what you should be focused on.

The clarity of knowing what you should be focused on gives you the strength to say no even though you are fearful because you now know what’s at risk if you say yes.