Feel The Wave

Where you begin your personal growth journey.

Tag: First time manager

  • From Employee to Leader: Embracing the Transition to Management

    Becoming a manager for the first time feels like standing at the edge of a cliff.

    You might be thrilled, anxious, or completely unsure if you’re ready to lead. Sometimes, the opportunity is something you’ve worked hard for. Other times, it’s handed to you unexpectedly. Either way, the shift from employee to manager brings questions, doubt, growth—and ultimately, the chance to become the kind of leader others saw in you all along.

    The Transition: From Peer to Manager

    Some of us will go through the transition from employee to manager during our careers. Some barely notice when it happens, while others clearly remember the moment and the months that followed. This transition can feel both terrifying and exhilarating.

    • Some can’t wait for it to happen.
    • Others aren’t sure it’s the right path.
    • Everyone experiences it differently.

    When it comes to management, you can choose to embrace it or hesitate—but the decision to move up often isn’t entirely yours. It’s usually made by someone who sees potential in you. Sometimes you’re not even considering leadership, but your supervisor knows you’re ready—even when you don’t.

    The “What Ifs” of New Leadership

    When you’re suddenly placed in a management role, your mind can spin with anxiety. The “what ifs” start piling up:

    What if I make the wrong decision? What if I embarrass myself? What if I’m not good at it? What if no one likes me?

    These thoughts are normal. In fact, they show that you care. Most of the time, what you’re really experiencing is self-doubt—not incompetence.

    The good news? You’re not alone. In lower-level management, most employees want the team to succeed. And that means helping the team lead. Your peers and supervisors are usually ready to support you. You just have to ask.

    Reflect and Learn

    A few months into your new role, take time to reflect on those early days.

    • Were your decisions really as bad as you feared?
    • Did you actually embarrass yourself—or were you overly critical?
    • Were there any moments you truly enjoyed?

    It’s okay to be uncomfortable with the answers. What matters most is that you’re learning. No matter your role, mistakes will happen. They’re not signs of failure—they’re part of the growth process.

    When the Next Opportunity Comes

    When the next promotion or leadership opportunity arises, fear might creep in again. That’s okay. But instead of letting it stop you, lean into what you’ve already experienced.

    • Remember the wins—big and small.
    • Think about how far you’ve come.
    • Reflect on the help you received and the resilience you built.

    No one succeeds in leadership alone—and no one is expected to. We’re all still learning, and the smartest leaders know how to lean on others.

    Surround Yourself With Support

    The best way to grow into any leadership role is to build a support system of:

    • Colleagues
    • Peers
    • Coaches
    • Mentors

    These people will help you navigate the unknowns, build confidence, and bring out the best in your leadership.

    Final Thought

    Leadership is less about having all the answers and more about being willing to grow, learn, and ask for help. When the call to management comes, trust that you don’t have to be perfect—you just have to be open.

    Take care.

  • Becoming a Leader: Lessons I Learned as a First-Time Manager

    Becoming a Leader: Lessons I Learned as a First-Time Manager

    Self-improvement begins with rejecting the fixed mindset of who we are.

    Becoming a leader for the first time can be intimidating. You feel a cascade of emotions—somewhere between anxiety and excitement. This is completely normal. On one hand, this may be something you’ve been working toward, and someone has placed their trust in you by hiring you. On the other hand, you don’t yet know who you are as a leader because you’ve never formally done it.

    This was my experience when I became a manager five years ago. Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

    At first, I didn’t know what to do. I knew the work inside and out, having spent seven years in the field. But managing employees—that was something I had never done, and quite frankly, never saw myself doing.

    Growing up, I was never the leader in team sports or at school. I was usually the one who followed—or, at times, the second in command. But leading the way? Not me.

    So I asked myself why.

    After some reflection, I realized I didn’t want to fail. Being responsible for others made that fear even heavier. I wasn’t just afraid of failing—I was afraid of being responsible for other people.

    And the truth is, it is terrifying.

    Being responsible for a team in a work environment, especially for the first time, comes with weight. Managing employees isn’t just about delegating and coaching. It’s about relationships, trust, and well-being. This is people’s livelihood. You have the power to hire, to say no, and even to let someone go.

    That reality is not light.

    The hiring process, in particular, troubled me at first. I kept asking myself:
    “What if the person I hire doesn’t fit in or isn’t able to do the work? Is that on me? Does that make me a bad manager?”

    The same thoughts applied to performance. If the team didn’t meet its goals, was it my fault?

    To some extent, yes.

    As a manager, it’s my responsibility to guide, coach, and elevate the team. It’s my role to create an environment where people can succeed. And more importantly, to inspire them to work with me—not against me.

    But over time, I realized something important.

    Most of these worries were unnecessary.

    By being honest with my team, I discovered that they weren’t just relying on me—I could rely on them too. Showing vulnerability didn’t weaken my leadership; it strengthened it. It showed that I didn’t have all the answers, and that their support mattered.

    Comfort and trust matter.

    If your team doesn’t feel comfortable around you, how can you expect them to perform at their best?

    Everyone is different. The more you understand your team members—both at work and outside of it—the better you can support them. You begin to set realistic expectations, and you learn where to challenge them so they grow.

    This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s trial and error. I didn’t get it right the first time—and I still don’t always get it right.

    And that’s part of leadership.

    It’s a continuous process of learning, adjusting, and improving. Mistakes are not exceptions—they are part of the journey.

    One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that leadership lives in the small things.

    It’s not about grand gestures or big recognition. It’s about the simple thank-yous, the pleases, and the quiet words of encouragement. It’s about connection.

    Above all else, the most important lesson I’ve learned is this:

    Be yourself.

    I’m not trying to look or act like a manager. I am a manager. And for me, that means leading as myself.

    Take care.