Being a Manager

I loved being a manager and it was something that I knew I was really good at.  I had no problem delegating, I was interested in the success of the people who worked for me, I enjoyed setting goals with them, I always applauded their successes and talked about missteps in a positive way, not a negative one, I always pointed to the people I managed as why I had success and never said “I” and always said “we” when discussing the success of my division and had no problem with someone questioning a decision because most of the time I engaged the people who worked for me when thinking through big decisions and because of that when I made a decision, everyone was happy to follow my lead.  It is that honesty and engagement that gave me the respect I needed to be a good manager.

Management is one of those things that many just fall up into without any guidance.  Management training is so key.  Some people just fall into it naturally while others struggle.  Great managers inspire their teams by being honest and to the point. They manage their time well and that bleeds into how a team comes together.  Bad managers struggle with communication and are controlling.  They are so concerned with their own success that it is difficult to take that leap of faith to realize that if they managed well, they would have a better chance of success.

If management is something you struggle with, then find a coach, or read a lot of books on the topic.  You can continue to be kicked up a ladder, or even hit one out of the ballpark as a founder with a killer concept but bad management comes back to kick you in the ass time and time again because if you build a business by yourself and you can’t lead, there will be constant turnover and unproductive time spent on stupid shit.  Be honest with yourself and your management shortcomings early on, and figure out how to be a productive manager sooner than later.  It will be the best thing you ever did.