Practical Leadership Skills for New Managers

Explore the basics of effective communication, raise self-awareness, and learn how to listen effectively to reduce miscommunication in personal and professional relationships.

Master the five Cs of communication: be clear, concise, complete, correct, and courteous to structure messages for clarity, collaboration, and informed decisions.

Practice clear communication by avoiding three-letter acronyms, using simple language, and mastering listening; recognize diverse perspectives and seek first to understand before being understood.

Explore four communication styles: aggressive, passive aggressive, passive, and assertive, and learn how assertive communication promotes win-win outcomes while respecting self and others.

Explore how cultural differences influence communication, uncover hidden meanings, and learn to investigate other cultures while sharing your own cultural nuances.

Apply Mehrabian's idea that words, tone, and body language shape meaning, with 7%, 38%, and 55%, and explore how stressing words changes interpretation.

Know yourself and map your strengths and development areas, and apply the five Cs: clear, concise, complete, correct, courteous, to build trust, stay simple, and listen to diverse perspectives.

Learn to prepare, structure, and run effective meetings—virtual and asynchronous—exchanging ideas, giving feedback, and avoiding unproductive sessions.

Arrive early to set the agenda, chair the meeting, keep to time, and take minutes to create an actionable plan; encourage junior voices and manage energy and focus.

Explore asynchronous meetings where teams share information for later review and respond at convenience. Set goals, timeframes, and tools; organize notes, and set clear deadlines for updates.

Plan meetings with purpose and invite the right people, defining clear outcomes and a structure to ensure engagement. Aim for 100% value for 100% of attendees, 100% of the time.

Explore the suggested timing and structure for a 50-minute one-to-one meeting, including a five-minute check-in, 70% listening, and clear next steps.

Lead check-ins at the start of 1-on-1 meetings using core protocols mad, sad, glad, afraid; ask about the best part of the week and three things they're grateful for.

Develop standard team culture questions and track responses over time to build and maintain culture while getting to know your people more deeply, adapting as people change.

Build relationships in 1-to-1 meetings by asking open questions and listening. Guide and coach, let others discover solutions, and focus on learning and development with consistent feedback and openness.

Learn to give great feedback, receive great feedback, and create a great feedback culture as a leader.

Treat feedback as data or information that acts as a signal, like a speedometer, guiding you to decide to speed up, slow down, or stop; it aims to improve outcomes.

Recognize that feedback is neutral, but the amygdala triggers threat responses in the limbic system, releasing adrenaline and cortisol that override logic and listening, explaining why feedback matters.

Explore how feedback enhances self-awareness, accountability, and dialogue while clarifying expectations and improving processes. Build stronger relationships and personal development through a feedback-rich culture.

Explore motivational and developmental feedback to build confidence and competence, deliver praise immediately, and use a positivity ratio of 5:1 to 7:1 for growth.

Explore leadership essentials by delivering feedback with the aid model—action, impact, desired behavior—for motivational and developmental feedback and better client collaboration.

Identify the three main components of conflict—perceived deprivation, blaming others, and challenged values such as fairness—and recognize symptoms by noting changes in a situation or behavior.

Explore the conflict model and learn how to adapt your natural conflict styles—avoiding, accommodating, competing, compromising, and collaborating—by weighing pros and cons to build effective, win-win solutions.

Resolve conflicts by identifying the issue and unmet need, distinguishing fact from fiction, and opening dialogue with 'I see it this way'. Listen, clarify, and move to a solution-focused perspective.

Identify signs you're not delegating, including rising stress, longer hours, distrust, missed or poor tasks, disengagement, and hindering team growth, then delegate effectively.

Learn why delegation is hard: investing time to build trust and transfer knowledge, overcoming control fears and past failures, so others can deliver in their own way.

Master the steps to effective delegation by clarifying tasks, selecting the right person, communicating expectations, securing commitment, providing training, and building accountability with ongoing support and gratitude.

Cultivate curiosity to discover what matters to others, adapt as it changes, ask open questions, listen more, and follow up to empower others and support delegation.

Set goals to visualize outcomes, take tangible steps, and overcome procrastination. Frame short- and long-term plans, measure progress, and build confidence, motivation, and self-esteem as dreams become reality.

Identify the costs of pursuing goals by recognizing what you're willing to give up and how changing habits can feel painful, for more effective leadership goal setting.

Explore two common goal-setting models, including specific, measurable, achievable (or realistic and relevant), and time-framed criteria to map your goals and improve the odds of success.

Learn to create a solid action plan by measuring progress, setting specific milestones, leveraging existing habits, acquiring new skills, starting today, building support, and embracing an iterative, agile approach.

Learn to handle tricky conversations at work by structuring talks and using a toolkit to feel comfortable across a variety of situations, as part of leadership essentials.

Explore why tough workplace conversations feel tricky, including triggers like the amygdala and fear, and learn to mitigate six common barriers to truthful, effective leadership conversations.

Set up a tricky conversation by not avoiding the issue, clarifying the topic, outcome, and impact, gathering facts, asking questions, and considering clean escalation with the other person if needed.

Have the conversation by staying curious about the other person, asking questions, exploring impact and intentions, expressing your feelings, and seeking alignment toward joint solutions.

Learn to conduct feedback conversations with motivational and developmental feedback, focus on behaviors, stay authentic, praise promptly, maintain a 5-to-1 motivational to developmental ratio, and invite input to guide growth.

Explore topics people find tricky to discuss and build comfort and familiarity, then learn practical ways to have these conversations in upcoming videos.

Lead with curiosity about others, recognizing different perspectives; ask how and what questions to understand thinking and feelings; listen empathetically and follow up with agreed actions.

Leverage coaching to boost individual performance and job satisfaction while strengthening organizational leadership. Evidence points to strong return on investment, practical input, and improved work-life balance through 360-degree feedback.

Master asking powerful, open, non-judgmental questions to foster self-awareness, inspire creativity and resourcefulness, and guide others toward their goals and outcomes.