13 Surprises Waiting for New?Managers

Or: How to be valuable when you don’t “do”?anything

What if everything you’ve mastered in your career suddenly feels irrelevant?

That’s the shock of moving from an individual contributor (IC) to a manager.

Your value is no longer in what you do?—?it’s in how you “force multiply” your team. It’s about making the team more than the sum of its individual members.

Here are 13 insights I wish I had when I leveled up to manager.

1. You’re in charge of everything but control?nothing

Your success is your team’s success. Your value is not in your individual contributions anymore. It’s in how you’re able to influence your team members to elevate their outcomes. The skills that made you a great IC won’t cut it here.

• What changes? Your responsibilities multiply, but your ability to directly control outcomes diminishes. Instead, you’ll influence others to achieve results.
• Key takeaway: Cultivate trust with your team. You will only get as far as they take you.
• Action step: When engaging with your team members ask yourself: “How can I use this opportunity to increase trust with them?”

Your success is your team’s success. Your value is not in your individual contributions anymore. It’s in how you’re able to influence your team members to elevate their outcomes. The skills that made you a great IC won’t cut it here.

When you control nothing influence is key. One way to exercise your influence is by developing your team…

2. Your job is to grow?others

You are a manager because your manager is betting that you will improve the team’s performance. You do this by developing your team members into better versions of themselves. First you understand their strengths. Then you situate them into roles that allow them to capitalize on those strengths. When challenges come you support them (of course). But, you do it in a way that leaves them more capable afterwards.

• Why it matters: The better your team performs, the better you perform. Their growth is your success.
• How to start: Provide regular feedback, set development goals, and create opportunities for team members to stretch their skills.
• Pro tip: Celebrate small wins to build confidence and momentum.

Want to dig deeper into this? Check out my essay on How to Have Effective 1:1s.

With all the extra decision-points you will soon see that…

3. Decision-making is your new?skillset

What to do, what not to do, and when to pivot?—?that’s your job now. There’s no playbook. There are only things that work and things that don’t work. Your job is to tell the difference. You’ll make calls with incomplete information and learn to live with ambiguity.

• The challenge: You’ll rarely have all the information you want. Waiting for certainty can lead to missed opportunities.
• How to adapt: Develop a framework for decision-making. Consider the impact, urgency, and risks before acting.
• Practical tip: After each decision, reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Use these lessons to refine your approach.

What works in one situation may not work in another. Situations are different. People are different…

4. Everyone’s different?—?embrace?it

Your team is a mix of skills, motivations, goals and personalities. Tailor your approach to each individual while setting clear expectations. Tools like the DiSC assessment can help.

• Why it’s essential: One-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work. Yes provide clear, even expectations. But, understand that how you nurture your team members towards those expectations should be as personalized to them as practicable.
• How to connect: Schedule one-on-ones to learn about each team member’s strengths, goals, and challenges.
• Quick win: Ask your team what support they need from you and act on their feedback. Embrace it when they productively disagree with you.

Every conversation is an opportunity to set a tone for the team…

5. You shape the?culture

Clichés are cliché for a reason. People don’t quit bad jobs. They quit bad managers.

Managers set the culture for their team. An org’s culture is the sum total of the culture established by its managers. (This is why it’s often hard to pin down precisely what an org’s culture is). This should be tremendously empowering as a manager.

Want a high-trust, supportive team? Model generosity and accountability. You have the power!

• The ripple effect: Your actions influence how your team interacts with each other and the broader organization.
• How to define culture: Decide what values matter most to you and ensure your team sees those values in action!
• Example: If collaboration is important, recognize and reward teamwork publicly.

In a knowledge-work environment culture is merely an example of a strategy you are working to implement…

6. Strategy vs.?tactics

“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”?—?Sun Tzu

Strategy is what you plan and tactics are how you adapt. Be ready to adjust when new information arises. Learn to separate what’s critical from what’s noise. Not everything is consequential.

• Strategic thinking: Focus on long-term goals and how your team’s work contributes to them.
• Tactical flexibility: Be prepared to pivot when circumstances change.
• Tip: Hold regular check-ins to align your team and partners on both strategy and day-to-day execution.

As you build your worldview you’ll hone your sense for what’s Signal and what’s Noise…

7. Focus on what?matters

Not everything deserves your attention. Prioritize what moves the needle for your team’s key metrics. In some environments, this means following process; in others, it’s about creativity and judgment.

• The challenge: It’s easy to get caught up in busywork. Stay laser-focused on outcomes.
• How to prioritize: Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to differentiate between urgent and important tasks.
• Pro tip: Regularly review your calendar to ensure your time aligns with your priorities.

Struggling with prioritization? Read my essay on Project Management’s Deadly Sins for more insights.

You’ll soon notice that an effective way to lead a team is through strong one-on-one relationships…

8. 1:1s are?gold

Team meetings are useful, but real connections happen in one-on-ones. These are your moments for honest feedback and personalized support. Don’t skip them. (If you don’t treat them like a priority, your team won’t either).

• Why they matter: 1:1s build trust and provide a safe space for open dialogue.
• How to maximize them: Start with this one question: “What’s on your mind?” It’s the perfect question to tee up your counterpart.
• Pro tip: End each 1:1 by asking, “What can I do to better support you?”

If you don’t take the time for dialogue you will pay the price…

9. Small problems grow?big

Unaddressed issues are like termites?—?invisible at first but destructive over time. Tackle risks early to keep your team strong.

• The warning signs: Look for subtle changes in behavior, communication, or performance.
• How to act: Address concerns promptly and directly. Often times the necessary recourse is small to start (e.g. a conversation). Small course corrections prevent bigger problems later.
• Example: If you have a nagging issue, consider addressing it before it grows larger.

Conceptualizing risk can be a challenging mindset switch. Read my essay on Managing risk for more.

But it’s not all bad…

10. Opportunities are everywhere?—?often they look like obstacles

Just as risks can erode performance, opportunities can elevate it. Recognizing opportunities is a skill. Spot them, seize them, and help your team grow.

• Where to look: Opportunities often hide in feedback, challenges, or other obstacles. (Resist the temptation to ignore them).
• How to act: Encourage innovation by creating a safe space for experimentation.
• Pro tip: Celebrate people who re-think and reform before you reflexively praise those who put in the extra effort to see through the current (broken) process.

Speaking of obstacles…

11. You’re the escalation point

When things go wrong, you’re the one who steps in. Your role is to stabilize. This is often done by providing clarity and support without adding to the chaos.

• The mindset: Stay calm and focused. Your reaction sets the tone for the team.
• How to handle it: Break problems into manageable parts and involve the right people to resolve them.
• Quick tip: Document lessons learned to prevent similar issues in the future.
• Bonus tip: Establish the relationships that will help you navigate tough issues before you need them.

And when things go wrong resist the temptation to insert a new process…

12. Be flexible with processes

Processes are tools, not rules. Know when to follow, adapt, or abandon them. The goal is results, not rigidity.

• The balance: Processes provide structure, but flexibility drives innovation.
• When to adapt: If a process isn’t delivering results, evaluate and tweak it.
• Example: Streamline unnecessary steps in a workflow to improve efficiency.

For tips on effective communication within processes, see my essay on When to email, ping, or call someone.

Before long you will start to see yourself transform…

13. From Doer to?Enabler

This is the real shift. It’s no longer about your achievements?—?it’s about creating an environment where your team can thrive together.

• The mindset: Transition from measuring your success by personal output to team outcomes.
• How to enable: Provide resources, remove roadblocks, and advocate for your team.
• Pro tip: Regularly ask yourself, “What can I do to make my team’s work easier?”
• Suggested reading: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Management (like any role) is a journey.

To be good at it, prepare to be bad at it first.

Save this list. I’ll be updating it periodically with additional resources.

Good luck on your journey.

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