Being a new manager is scary.
You're suddenly responsible for leading a team and you have no idea how to do it.
I've served as a manager and executive at several companies.
Here's a step by step cheatsheet to help you become a better leader today:
You're suddenly responsible for leading a team and you have no idea how to do it.
I've served as a manager and executive at several companies.
Here's a step by step cheatsheet to help you become a better leader today:
1. Create the vision:
• Define what success looks like.
• Translate it into specific goals.
• Define what success looks like.
• Translate it into specific goals.
2. Communicate your vision to the org:
• Talk to all the relevant stakeholders.
• Persuade and help them understand how these goals will lead to success.
• Talk to all the relevant stakeholders.
• Persuade and help them understand how these goals will lead to success.
3. Create the strategy.
• Vision: our destination.
• Strategy: how we get there.
• Create a list of tasks and milestones that will ensure the team achieves its vision.
• Vision: our destination.
• Strategy: how we get there.
• Create a list of tasks and milestones that will ensure the team achieves its vision.
4. Hire the right people to execute the strategy:
• Identify what hard skills and cultural traits your team needs to execute the strategy.
• Interview and hire people who meet that criteria.
• Identify what hard skills and cultural traits your team needs to execute the strategy.
• Interview and hire people who meet that criteria.
5. Train and coach new hires:
• First teach them how to do a task by doing it yourself.
• Then ask them to do it and identify gaps for improvement.
• Keep doing this till they can execute at an acceptable level.
• First teach them how to do a task by doing it yourself.
• Then ask them to do it and identify gaps for improvement.
• Keep doing this till they can execute at an acceptable level.
6. Secure the necessary resources for your team to do their jobs:
• This includes everything from equipment and budgets to necessary tools.
• This includes everything from equipment and budgets to necessary tools.
7. Put a process in place to ensure high performance:
• Set measurable goals.
• Delegate work required to hit these goals.
• Monitor performance through weekly one on ones with every direct report.
• Identify what isn't going well and fix it.
• Set measurable goals.
• Delegate work required to hit these goals.
• Monitor performance through weekly one on ones with every direct report.
• Identify what isn't going well and fix it.
8. Motivate your team and maintain morale:
• Set ambitious but achievable goals.
• Celebrate every win along the way.
• Make sure everyone is compensated and recognized for their work.
• Set ambitious but achievable goals.
• Celebrate every win along the way.
• Make sure everyone is compensated and recognized for their work.
9. Build the culture:
• Culture: what we do and how we do it (values).
• Shape the culture by setting an example - embody team values in how you work.
• Celebrate others when they embody these values.
• Culture: what we do and how we do it (values).
• Shape the culture by setting an example - embody team values in how you work.
• Celebrate others when they embody these values.
10. Anticipate what the future looks like:
• Always plan 3-6-12 months out.
• Problems avoided are better that problems solved.
• Identify future opportunities and make sure your team is ready to capitalize.
• Always plan 3-6-12 months out.
• Problems avoided are better that problems solved.
• Identify future opportunities and make sure your team is ready to capitalize.
11. Develop your interpersonal skills:
Learn to:
• Listen.
• Communicate.
• Motivate.
• Give feedback.
• Take feedback.
Learn to:
• Listen.
• Communicate.
• Motivate.
• Give feedback.
• Take feedback.
12. Be self aware. Work on yourself:
• Good management starts with managing yourself.
• Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
• Work consistently on maximizing your strengths and limiting your weaknesses.
• Good management starts with managing yourself.
• Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
• Work consistently on maximizing your strengths and limiting your weaknesses.
Now go be a kick ass leader 
And if you found this thread helpful, please:
- Retweet the first tweet and help others find this thread
- Follow me at @heykahn to learn more about leadership and psychology

And if you found this thread helpful, please:
- Retweet the first tweet and help others find this thread
- Follow me at @heykahn to learn more about leadership and psychology