Every manager is superhuman.

But sadly, most managers don’t realize their true potential and die without making a real impact.

I am an introvert at heart. A Taurus that makes me connect deeply with the people I love the most. But I cannot imagine being a manager.

So, recently when my organization suggested hiring a content writer under me, I was terrified. I started the one thing that I am capable of: reading books.

I read books and books on being an efficient manager. But as they say, life happens when you’re too busy doing other stuff. When I started the real journey toward being a manager, I learned several things.

Here I would like to share some of the learnings that can help new managers settle on their new role without freaking out.

Don’t do it yourself. Show them the way and move away

The role is to manage things, not do it yourself. Hire someone more intelligent than you and let them do their work. Avoid intervening to see what they’re doing. The worst managers are those who try to do everything themselves.

That’s not how things should be done. A great manager assigns the best person for the job and leaves them to create magic. At times, they’ll fail. Be there to take the blame. Other times, they’ll succeed. Be the first one to give them credit.

Don’t disturb them. Show confidence in them. Let them fail. Let them find a creative way to complete the assigned job. If they come to you for help, show them how it’s done once and let them learn independently.

Show empathy. Be a reasonable person

Life is hard. No one knows what the other person is going through.

Emergencies happen in the blink of time. Show mercy. Be empathetic towards your employees. When an employee raise concerns, listen to them before reacting. Don’t let employees label you as a heartless manager.

Undoubtedly, it will be challenging at times. But with time, you learn to make a balance between becoming a cold-blooded manager or an emphatic one.

Be reasonable but avoid being used by the employee. Manage them. Circumstances happen. Learn to deal with it. Time is the best teacher.

Let them fail. Spoon-feeding is career-wrecking

I still get the urge to reject the article and write a new one. But I have a responsibility to my people. I sit with my juniors and point out the things that need to be improved and let them do it.

Some are fast learners; others take time to get my point. But either way, they’re growing. They’re becoming self-made successful people.

When people fail, they learn. Success is nothing more than failing a lot and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Every failure is an opportunity to learn something.

Let them fail on their terms. Watch them but don’t interfere. Let them know you’re there to help but allow them to learn independently.

Learn the psychology of people

Refrain from mind games. Learn the art of reading people. Body parts give signs. Be wise enough to read them. Read What Everybody Is Saying by Joe Navarro . Watch Lynne Franklin's TED Talks on reading minds.

Instead of asking your people why they didn’t complete the job, ask them, “Are you feeling okay, is there something I can help you with?” Start from a point where they feel safe to share their true feelings.

The more you succeed, the more humble you need to be

Success in toxic. If you don’t control the intoxication, you’ll be lost in the jungle of ego, hatred, and jealousy.

The solution is to stay humble. I’ve seen managers going from zero to hero in years and spiraling around back to zero in minutes because of being arrogant.

A successful manager will stay successful as long as he stays humble. The more successful you become, the more humble you need to be toward your achievements and success.

The moment you show pride is the moment you will start losing everything. Be grateful for every single opportunity. Be grateful for the incredible team you have, and stay grateful for all the failures that brought you to this position.

Begin with the ‘why.’ Focus on the destination

Always start things with the ‘why.’ Why do you want to take on this project? Why do you want to add this feature? Why do you want to hire this person?

With a clear why, when you move forward with things, it gets easier to handle everything else. Every day, figure out the ‘why’ of things before doing them.

Secondly, focus on the destination. Embrace the process. It’s essential to enjoy the vista while you climb the mountain, but don’t ever forget where you want to reach. The end is what matters the most.

Closing thought

Being a manager is not easy. It takes blood, sweat, and peace of mind. But in the world, it is all worth it. You empower people to do great things. You see the company scale in front of you. And finally, you develop something worth talking about.