Learn how to navigate the challenges of becoming a manager, including time management, conflict resolution, and a change in identity. Discover strategies for dealing with disillusionment, setting priorities and boundaries with your team, and planning your own professional development. Explore the importance of taking risks for personal growth, evaluating company culture, and avoiding burnout as a manager.
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Quick takeaways
Becoming a manager requires navigating the challenge of finding a new identity and building confidence.
New managers must prioritize self-care and set boundaries to prevent burnout and maintain well-being.
Deep dives
Becoming a Manager and Managing Team Conflicts
The podcast episode discusses the challenges faced by first-time managers and how they can navigate their new role effectively. They explore topics such as managing time, dealing with team conflicts, and finding a new identity as a manager. The episode highlights the importance of setting priorities and boundaries, while also emphasizing the need for personal and professional development. The conversation with leadership coach Jen Derry provides insights into how new managers can plan their growth, handle disillusionment, and effectively lead their teams.
The Struggles and Transformations of New Managers
The episode delves into the personal experiences of new managers and the transformations they undergo in their roles. It explores the feelings of responsibility, growth, fatigue, burnout, and disillusionment that managers often face. The discussion highlights the importance of self-awareness, the challenges of finding a new identity, and the need for self-care and boundary-setting to prevent burnout. The episode emphasizes the importance of balancing personal growth with the demands of management and provides practical advice for managing stress and maintaining mental and emotional well-being.
Defining Leadership Identity and Prioritization
The podcast episode explores the concept of leadership identity and the challenges faced by new managers in defining their approach. It provides insights into the process of shaping one's leadership style through on-the-job experiences and learning from admired leaders. The conversation with leadership coach Jen Derry emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and identifies key inflection points for managers to assess their intentions and act deliberately. The episode also highlights the significance of prioritization and time management, emphasizing the need for new managers to define what is truly important and avoid perfectionism.
Overcoming Burnout and Leveraging Support
The episode addresses the issue of burnout among managers, particularly focusing on the experiences of women in leadership. It acknowledges the overwhelming workload, stress, and challenges associated with management. The podcast emphasizes the importance of self-care, boundary-setting, and recognizing personal limits to prevent burnout. The conversation highlights the value of seeking support, both from mentors and peers, and the significance of talking openly about burnout and stress. The episode encourages managers to prioritize their well-being and to develop strategies for effectively managing work demands and personal growth.
Becoming a manager for the first time comes with many common challenges: balancing your time, managing team conflicts, and delegating work to direct reports.
But leadership coach Jen Dary says there are also subtler challenges—like learning to actually see yourself as a leader. Assuming responsibility for other people’s professional development and personal happiness does change you. And the feelings can be mixed until you’re able to build your identity and confidence back up.
In this episode, Dary discusses how you can explore your new identity as a manager. You’ll learn how to plan your own professional development, deal with disillusionment, and set priorities and boundaries with your team—all while juggling the responsibilities of your new role.
This is the first episode in a special series highlighting the four best leadership episodes of 2023, curated from across Harvard Business Review’s podcasts.
HBR On Leadership curates the best case studies and conversations with the world’s top business and management experts, to help you unlock the best in those around you. New episodes every week.