The transition from individual contributor to manager is significant and requires essential skills. Suddenly, your focus expands from crushing your own tasks to empowering and guiding a whole team.
While technical expertise is a valuable asset, it takes more to become a truly exceptional manager. We’ve collected 10 essential skills you’ll need to develop to not only climb the management ladder but to thrive once you reach the top. From embracing vulnerability to influencing others positively, this inventory from executive leaders will outline which essential skills you need to become a leader your team will respect and admire.
Vulnerability
Vulnerability breeds credibility. Managers tend to think they need to have all the answers all the time and ensure whoever they are leading looks at them as “perfect”—they are managers, after all. But this builds managers who people simply report to, it doesn’t create managers who are leaders.
For a manager to be truly successful as a leader, they need the essential skills to develop a rapport deeper than just knowing the answers and being in charge. True leaders need to be credible. The fastest way to paint yourself as a credible leader is to humanize yourself through vulnerability.
Managers are leading other human beings who want to feel seen, heard, and valued. They want to work for a manager that is human, too. Humans have flaws, vulnerabilities, and areas they can continue to improve.
Develop your credibility by being vulnerable with your team; you will be surprised by how quickly the team will have your back as you lead them to success!
Sam Panitch, cofounder and COO, Elevation Nation