How to Become a Manager and Lead by Example

February 25 2020 - Your career is alright. You're making enough money to live comfortably. Nevertheless, you feel as though you've stagnated.

As such, you're seriously considering becoming a manager. The only problem is that you have no idea how. That's why you've come here: you're looking for advice.

Fortunately, we have it. Without further ado, here is how to become a manager.

Focus on Communication

Of all the characteristics a manager must possess, none is more important than the ability to communicate. If you can't keep a group of people on the same page, you'll never be an effective manager. As such, you should be sharpening your communication skills at every opportunity.

Not only do you need good verbal communication skills but good written communication skills as well. So, whether you're in a meeting, or on a phone call, or writing an email, make sure to give it everything you've got.

Learn How to Trust Others

The position of manager is not a position for the control freaks out there. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

See, one of the key attributes for any manager is to have trust in those that he or she is managing. When an employee feels trusted, he or she feels confident. And when he or she feels confident, he or she turns out his or her best possible work.

As such, when a manager is a control freak, his or her employees' work results tend to suffer. That's because they feel micromanaged, and are thus unable to express their capabilities fully.

The point: learn to let those around you work. Don't nag them, don't prod at them, and don't sabotage their efforts. If they weren't capable of producing quality results, they wouldn't have been hired in the first place.

Be Empathetic

Leadership isn't about coldly shouting orders at others as if they were robots. It's about being supportive and encouraging others to give their best effort. In order for a manager to do this, he or she must practice empathy.

Understand that your employees have lives outside of work. Realize that they can burn out from time to time. Be authoritative, not authoritarian.

Failure to show your employees empathy will almost certainly cause them to rebel against you, either consciously or subconsciously.

Always Be Learning

As a manager, you're responsible for the entirety of each project that your team carries out. As such, while you don't need to be an expert on every little detail of the project, you do need to have a baseline understanding of its various components.

How do you gain this understanding? By learning constantly. Read up on the project at work, read up on the project at home, and listen to those around you.

Attend a Management Seminar

The most straightforward way to learn how to become a manager is to learn from those who have already managed. After all, experience breeds wisdom, and wisdom is the key to success.

This is why, if you really want to be a manager, you should attend a management seminar or workshop. Workshops like Management 3.0 provide attendees with a wealth of information on management, helping them to become the best managers possible.

Now That You Know How to Become a Manager...

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