"I recently returned from co-leading our Essential Skills for New Managers program at Poynter, where we emphasize a simple truth: Leadership is not a technical skill. It's a human one. As I reflect on a busy year of teaching, I think about how many new managers at every level arrived with the same questions: Am I doing this right? Am I letting anyone down? How can I do this when I'm barely holding myself together?"
"One of the most transformative moments in the program is always the day we dedicate entirely to feedback. We hand each participant a folder filled with reflections from their direct reports, peers and managers. It's a raw, unfiltered window into how their leadership is working for others, and how it's working for themselves. Sounds a little scary, right? It often shakes people. Sometimes it's emotional. But it always reveals something important: More often than not, they're doing a great job."
New managers frequently arrive with self-doubt and worry about performance and letting others down. The Essential Skills for New Managers program emphasizes that leadership is a human skill, not a technical one. A dedicated feedback day provides participants with direct reports', peers', and managers' reflections in a folder, offering an unfiltered view of how their leadership affects others and themselves. The feedback process can be unsettling and emotional but often reveals that participants are performing well. Participants are encouraged to give themselves grace, defined as recognizing limits while maintaining standards and pursuing growth. Exemplary leaders show humility, compassion, and accountability.
Read at Poynter
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