Sarah Ott

@sarahottcoaching

40% of new managers fail within the first

18 months.

Leadership is arguably one of the most

important skills that anyone can learn,
and we don't learn it in school.

After 20+ years of working with teams,

these are 8 things I wish I knew when I
was a new manager:
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

1. Listen and ask questions first

Not everyone wants you to solve their

problems. Sometimes they just need to talk
things out.

Ask questions first, before you go into

giving advice.

Remember this is not about you.

 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

2. Don't try to be anybody else, be

yourself

At first I tried to be like other good

managers I'd worked with and it didn't feel
right.

Ultimately, you have to listen to yourself.

People want to work with genuine people,

not robots.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

3. Co-create, don't dictate

We are all professionals. Nobody likes to

be told to do something because they said
so.

People do their best work when you create

an environment where there is buy-in!

It's your job to create the environment

where the work gets done.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

4. Get comfortable giving feedback and

do it fast

It is your job to address anything that is

making others uncomfortable.

There are ways to do it without being a

jerk.

Fast feedback is a gift, not something to be

avoided.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

5. Deal with your childhood crap

We all have it. It’s what makes us react in

the moment.

Avoiding having hard conversations?

Trying hard to people-please?

It’s an underlying sign of stuff you haven’t

dealt with yet. Just deal with it before it
breaks you.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

6. Your kindness is a strength, not a

weakness

Brené Brown says "Soft Front, Strong Back,

Wild Heart".

Your kindness brings people to you and

allows them to trust you.

People want to work with those they don't

have to protect themselves from.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

7. Relationships worth keeping are two-

way

It's ok to move on, when who you are, and

what you value, is no-longer aligned to
where you work.

When an environment makes you feel

disconnected from yourself and your
values, it will leave you feeling empty.

Recognizing when it's time to move on is

necessary and healthy.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

8. Leadership is not only about leading

others, but you have to start with yourself

first

We are all a work in progress.

Realizing this helps to see your role as "not

to be right, but to get it right" - Brené
Brown.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

Leadership is a necessary skill in all aspects

of life.

And it's the leader who defines the culture

of a team.

Often we think leadership is about the task

itself.
 Sarah Ott
@sarahottcoaching

However - Communication, self-

awareness, emotional development are

necessary to get the work done.

Leadership is about developing the whole

person.

What other lessons would you tell your

younger self?

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