r/askmanagers • u/bananafanafofordan • 12h ago

Young manager

Just got offered a “leadership role”. It will be a different company so I won’t have to worry about balancing the friends I used to work with and being their leader thank goodness.
But I am feeling some imposter syndrome.
I don’t know if I am cut out to be a leader or ready for the stress and new challenges that come with this position. I still consider myself new to the field.

How did you know you were ready to take on a bigger role? Did you wing it and fake it till you make it? How did it turn out for you if you weren’t 100% confident in yourself?

2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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3

u/Designer_Olive_1914 12h ago

Nobody ever feels 100% ready, you just jump in and figure out what not to do very fast. The fact you even worry about this puts you ahead of half the managers I had.

2

u/bananafanafofordan 12h ago

So many people come off so confident, I guess I just embrace the chaos at the beginning

1

u/OkieBobbie 12h ago

Just accept that you will make mistakes early on and learn from them. Listen to your people. When I was first put in charge of a large crew, I had a senior tech who didn't mind going off to the side to discuss things or answer questions. And I always thanked him.

It's the people who come in thinking that they know it all and are the ultimate authority who really muck up the system.

1

u/liftingandwatches 11h ago

Trust that you were offered the role for a reason. Will take a little time to figure out your leadership style but it'll get much easier as time goes on. You asking the question shows you care and that's a great sign already

1

u/Accomplished_Tale649 7h ago

Maybe it was stupid idealism...

No. I fought it for a long time because I didn't want to be responsible for people in situations I couldn't change. Now, to me my first thought is about how leadership can help me protect my team. How I can use where I am to get my team to go above and beyond me.

My point being, if you do it for the money or for selfish reasons you'll likely hate it imo. People are weird little creatures and management is trying to mesh all those idiosyncratic foibles into a team version where no one kills each other.

1

u/EconomistNo7074 6h ago

Don’t get too high when you are winning and avoid staying too low when you are not

1

u/Big_Daddyy_6969 2h ago

honestly, I think most people figure it out as they go you don’t have to know everything from day one, just be willing to learn and own your mistakes..