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7 Essential Emotional Skills for New Managers
Executive Summary
This article explores the challenges faced by new managers, identifies three primary causes of managerial failure, and introduces the ASPIRE Leadership Model © as a framework for developing essential emotional skills for effective leadership.
Introduction
The transition from individual contributor to manager marks a critical juncture in one’s career, yet it’s fraught with challenges that can derail even the most promising professionals. A widely cited study by CEB Global revealed a startling statistic: 60% of new managers fail within their first 24 months in a leadership role. This failure rate not only inflicts significant economic damage on organizations but also takes a toll on the mental and physical health of these struggling leaders and the people they are responsible for.
As an executive coach frequently called upon to assist managers in crisis, I’ve observed three primary causes for this high rate of failure:
- Misaligned motivations
- Mismatch of strengths
- Inadequate preparation
Let’s delve deeper into each of these factors and explore strategies for overcoming them.
1. Misaligned Motivations
The reasons why individuals seek management positions can significantly impact their likelihood of success.
Case Study: Tim
Tim, a highly respected technical expert in his organization, approached his manager expressing his desire for a management promotion. His manager, surprised by this request, asked about his motivation. Tim revealed, “I see colleagues being promoted to manager positions, and I’m afraid of falling behind in my career.”
This response highlights a common pitfall: pursuing management roles for one’s own career advancement rather than a genuine desire to serve a greater purpose. While career advancement is a valid aspiration, it shouldn’t be the primary driver for taking on a leadership position. Managers who others feel inspired to follow, are the one’s who care about the purpose and mission of the organization, and importantly, care about their team members.
When considering a move into management, it’s crucial to reflect honestly on one’s motivations and assess whether they stem from an aspiration to:
- Serve the purpose and mission of the organization
- Care about the needs of the stakeholders
- Lead and develop others
- Make a difference in the organization
2. Mismatch of Strengths
Another significant factor contributing to a new manager’s failure is the stark difference between the strengths that led to their promotion and those required for effective leadership.
Case Study: Jennifer
Jennifer, a star performer on her team, was promoted to manage the team. Within six months, her colleagues began lodging complaints with upper management, demanding her removal as team leader. As Jennifer’s coach, I conducted interviews to understand the root cause of the problem. The findings revealed that she was engaging in excessive micromanagement, closely controlling her team members’ work and leaving them little autonomy.
Gartner found that managers who are unaware of their own strengths and development areas are nearly three times more likely to fail as those who possess this self-awareness (Gartner, 2024). It is critical that new managers, like Jennifer, are aware that the strength that made them successful as an individual contributor and that got them promoted, are not the ones they need to lead successfully.
Jennifer’s team desired a leader who could:
- Develop and communicate a clear vision for the team
- Set high-level goals aligned with organizational objectives
- Advocate for the team’s needs with upper management
- Provide guidance and support without stifling individual creativity
3. Inadequate Preparation
The lack of awareness about critical managerial strengths often leads to inadequate preparation for the role. Many organizations promote high-performing individuals, such as Jennifer, into management positions without providing comprehensive training and support for the transition.
To address this issue, I developed the ASPIRE Leadership Model ©, which focuses on the seven most critical leadership emotions and associated behaviors they drive:
- Emotional Empathy (Drives Caring)
- Compassion (Commits to Serving)
- Interest (Key to Understanding)
- Optimism (Lens for Visioning)
- Inspiration (Energy for Mobilizing)
- Trust (Fuel for Collaborating)
- Positivity (Being Resilient)
Let’s explore how these emotions and associated behaviors play out for new managers.
Empathy, Compassion and Interest
New managers, before jumping into action, need to understand and empathize with the needs and aspirations of their stakeholders’ at all levels — upper management, peers, and team members. Gartner research has found that a lack of team empathy increases the risk of manager failure by 3.7 times (Gartner, 2024). Practicing emotional empathy, compassion and genuine interest will drive caring behaviors, and help serving and understanding the needs and aspirations of their key stakeholders.
Optimism, Inspiration and Trust
Based on a solid understanding of the needs and aspirations of their stakeholders, Managers are better equipped to create an aspirational vision, mobilize stakeholders and coordinate effective actions. To fuel these leadership behaviors, Managers must feel optimistic, inspire and build trust. Research by the Corporate Executive Board (2004) has shown that emotions have a 400% stronger affect on employee engagement than rational reasons.
Promoting Resilience
The final behavior in the ASPIRE Leadership Model © focuses on building resilience, which is crucial for overcoming setbacks and adapting to changing circumstances. Positive emotions play a significant role in fostering resilience, while negative emotions can erode it.
As a leader, it’s essential to cultivate a positive emotional climate within the team, especially during difficult times. This doesn’t mean suppressing negative emotions entirely, but rather preventing a downward spiral of negativity that can undermine team performance and morale.
Conclusion
The journey from individual contributor to successful manager is challenging, but it’s not insurmountable. With the right self-awareness about motivations and strengths, and adequate preparation for the role, one can greatly increase their chances of success as a new manager.
The ASPIRE Leadership Model © provides a framework for focusing on the most essential leadership behaviors: caring, serving, understanding, visioning, inspiring, collaborating, and being resilient. By practicing these behaviors, new managers can build strong, high-performing teams and overcome the common pitfalls that lead to failure in leadership roles.
To drive these leadership behaviors, it is essential to cultivate the emotions of empathy, compassion, interest, optimism, inspiration, trust, and positivity. These emotional skills can be learned and developed over time, contributing to long-term success in management roles.
References
- Leadership Council. (2004). Driving Performance and Retention Through Employee Engagement. Corporate Executive Board.
- Gartner. (2024). 4 Reasons Why Managers Fail. Harvard Business Review.
Author: Reiner Lomb is a speaker, executive coach, and author.
To learn more and for a free excerpt of “ASPIRE: Seven Essential Emotions for Leading Positive Change,” visit reinerlomb.com/books/#aspire.