Articles · Business
How can a new manager lead people who work differently to them?
Most new managers lead the way they like to be led. That works well with people like them, and misfires with almost everyone else.
In short
- Your natural working style is both a strength and a blind spot.
- Flexing isn’t faking. It’s choosing how your message lands.
- New managers need to practise flexing under pressure, not just read about it.
Many managers are promoted because they were very good at the job. The skills that got them there, such as expertise, speed and getting things done, are not the same skills they now need. Leading a team means getting results through people who may think, communicate and make decisions in completely different ways.
The promotion trap
New managers often fall back on what worked for them as practitioners. A fast, decisive manager expects quick answers and gets frustrated by questions. A careful, detail-focused manager over-explains and slows the team down. A people-focused manager avoids the difficult conversation. None of this is a lack of ability. It is a natural style running on autopilot.
The same message, four ways
Take something as ordinary as handing over a piece of work. Using the four Teams Glued animals as a guide:
- A strong Panther wants the outcome and the deadline, then room to get on with it.
- A strong Koala wants the context, to know who else is involved and that support is there if needed.
- A strong Meerkat wants to understand why it matters and some freedom in how they approach it.
- A strong Fox wants the detail, the quality bar and time to ask questions.
Same task, four different conversations. A manager who only has one version will lose some of the team every time.
Flexing under pressure
Most managers can flex when things are calm. The test comes when a deadline is close, a client is unhappy or the team disagrees. That is when natural style takes over. The managers who improve fastest are the ones who have seen themselves under pressure and had honest feedback on how they came across.
What to try
- Know your own mix. Which style do you fall back on when you are stretched?
- Ask, don’t assume. Ask each person how they prefer to receive work and feedback.
- Pick one conversation to flex this week. Plan it from the other person’s style, not yours.
- Get feedback. Ask afterwards what worked. You will learn more from that than from any course.
How Teams Glued helps
Our Leadership programme is a full day for senior and management teams of up to 16. Everyone completes the Animal Profile first, then takes on a harder version of The Train Challenge with changing scenarios. The debrief focuses on decisions and delegation, and the team leaves with a written action plan with owners and review dates. For cohorts of new managers, the Behavioural programme is a good place to start.
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