How to Become A Manager

Want to move into management? Here's how to build the leadership skills that get you promoted, plus what actually changes the day you start leading people.

The top salesperson in the building gets the promotion. Of course they do! Reward the person who closes the most deals, hand them a team and watch everyone level up. Clean. Logical. And weirdly, it backfires all the time.

Economists dug into promotion records for more than 50,000 salespeople across 214 companies, and what they found stings a little. The strongest individual performers tended to become the weakest managers. When a salesperson’s pre-promotion numbers doubled, their new team members’ sales dropped by roughly 7.5%¹. The very skills that made someone a star at the desk turned out to be the wrong tools for the new job.

So becoming a manager isn’t really a gold star for being great at what you do now. It’s a brand-new job with a brand-new scoreboard, and that distinction changes everything. The good news? Once you know what actually shifts, you can start training for it long before anyone hands you a team.

What Actually Changes When You Become a Manager

As an individual contributor, you win by doing great work. The day you start managing, your scoreboard flips. Now you win by helping other people do great work.

Sounds simple. It’s one of the hardest adjustments in any career.

A landmark longitudinal study followed 19 first-time managers through their first year and found the shift wasn’t really about new tasks at all. It was a deep change in professional identity² — a whole new sense of who you are at work. Here’s what moves:

• From doing to enabling. Your value used to be your output. Now it’s your team’s output.
• From expert to coach. You stop being the person with all the answers and become the person who develops the people who find them.
• From me to we. Personal task completion stops being the win. Your team’s growth becomes the win.
• From narrow to wide. Your focus expands from your own lane to how your team connects with everyone around it.
• From authority to influence. The title gives you authority. Getting people to actually follow you takes relationships and trust.

Ever watched a brilliant engineer or designer get the corner office and then quietly flounder? This is almost always why. Nobody told them the job had changed. So they kept sprinting at the thing that earned the promotion… and that thing was no longer the job.

Here’s the part that should make you exhale: you can start practicing the new skills right now, while the stakes are low and nobody’s watching.

Learn more about How to Be a Good Manager: A Guide for Every Personality Type.

The Skills That Set Managers Apart

You can stack up every degree and certification on the planet, but the skills that decide whether you thrive as a manager are mostly relational. People skills are the backbone of every great manager. Full stop.

The competencies that matter most:

• Communication and motivation
• Delegation
• Coaching and developing others
• Strategic thinking and planning
• Conflict resolution and problem-solving
• Organization and time management
• Emotional intelligence and self-awareness

Notice what’s not sitting at the top: technical mastery. It still matters. But research on why promising managers stall is blunt about it. Leaning too hard on your technical chops actually becomes a liability once the job needs you to build and lead a team instead². Picture a Swiss Army knife with one blade you keep yanking open for every job. The strengths that drove your early success can quietly curdle into weaknesses when they’re the only tools you reach for.

Two of these deserve a spotlight, because they’re the ones new managers wrestle with the most.

Delegation: letting go of the work

Learning to hand off work is one of the hardest parts of stepping up. When researchers asked frontline leaders to name their biggest challenge, “adjusting to people management and asserting authority” topped the list, cited by 59.3% of them³. Delegation sits right at the center of that struggle.

And honestly, you get it. I’ll just do it myself, it’s faster. You’re quicker, you know it’ll be right and handing it off feels like dropping a baby. But that exact instinct is what quietly tanks new managers’ teams.

Real delegation runs on something deeper. People need to feel safe enough to take the wheel and occasionally swerve. Research on high-performing teams found the best ones share a sense of psychological safety⁴ — the belief they can take a risk without getting punished for an honest mistake. Hover and correct every comma, and you’re quietly telling your team you don’t trust them. The willingness to step up dries right up.

Action Step: Pick one task on your plate this week that someone on your team could do at 80% of your quality. Hand it off, explain the goal, then resist the urge to take it back.

Coaching and feedback: developing your people

The flip side of letting go is teaching. Great managers spend their time growing people, and here’s the genuinely encouraging part: these skills are learnable. You’re not born with them or doomed without them.

A meta-analysis pooling 335 leadership training programs found that training reliably improved how managers behaved on the job, what they learned and even their teams’ results⁵. The biggest gains came from programs that were specific and practice-based rather than vague leadership philosophy. Coaching, giving clear feedback, running a good one-on-one — these are skills. And skills get built.

How to Become a Manager: 9 Steps to a Management Role

Regardless of your industry or background, these steps can help you prepare for and land a management role.

1. Map your career trajectory

Start by getting honest with yourself about where you’re actually headed. Answer these:

• Where do you want to be in a year?
• Where do you want to be in 5 years?
• Where do you want to be in 10 years?
• When do you want to retire?

Most people gain their first management experience as a team lead, supervisor or assistant manager. It’s rare for a company to hand a brand-new employee a full team, so you’ll usually grow into it one step at a time.

And that path is almost never a straight line. Oprah Winfrey started as a part-time radio news anchor and later a local TV reporter in Baltimore, and it took her years of climbing before she landed the show that made her famous. Forget the fame for a second. What matters is that even the most successful leaders built their authority one rung at a time.

Switching fields? Don’t panic. Most managerial skills are universal and travel with you. The trick is to keep building your people skills and get crystal clear on where you want to go.

Action Step: Find someone with a role you’d love to have in five years. Use LinkedIn or a published interview to sketch out the steps they took to get there. Draw it as a staircase and label each step. If you can, invite them for coffee and ask how they really did it. Then use it as a blueprint for your own path.

2. Volunteer for stretch projects

Stretch projects reach beyond the scope of your current role. Think of them as your audition reel — proof you can handle more before anyone formally asks you to.

A stretch assignment might be:

• A cross-functional project with other teams
• Delivering a presentation to a high-profile client
• Leading a new initiative or process rollout
• Owning the implementation of a new tool

To set yourself up for one, try these steps:

1. Find a supervisor or executive you already have a relationship with. Tell them you want to grow and explain why you’d be a good fit for the assignment.
2. Get clear on your specific role and how you’ll fit into the project. Plan your time so your current work doesn’t slip.
3. Communicate generously with the team. Ask plenty of questions and lean on your mentors for guidance.

Before you raise your hand, gut-check that you’ve actually got the time and energy to do excellent work. You’re learning here, so nobody expects perfection. They do expect your best effort.

3. Lead yourself first

Leadership author Warren Bennis argued that the best leaders lead themselves first. Former Medtronic CEO Bill George put it bluntly: “The hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself.”

The research backs him up. That same study of new managers found the people who handled the transition best treated the whole first year as a developmental assignment² — they stayed curious about their own blind spots instead of demanding instant mastery from themselves.

You can start leading yourself right now by:

• Understanding yourself. Try daily journaling to spot your strengths, triggers and patterns. Use self-awareness to notice why you react the way you do and where you want to grow.
• Creating a daily routine. A steady morning routine gives your day a stable foundation. Wake up at the same time, move your body or take a few minutes to breathe.
• Holding yourself accountable. Self-accountability means keeping the promises you make to yourself and owning your mistakes. It’s the same standard you’ll one day expect from a team.
• Building productive habits. Your daily habits shape the kind of leader you become. See the top habits that C-level executives use for success.

Nobody wants to be led by someone who can’t keep a promise to themselves. Get your own house in order first, and leading other people gets a whole lot easier.

4. Set yourself apart with certifications or degrees

Further education can prove your commitment to a field and help you stand out. Many companies expect at least a bachelor’s degree, and management roles often prefer an MBA or a relevant advanced degree.

More importantly, pursuing new skills shows a growth mindset — the belief that abilities grow with effort, which companies with that culture⁶ tend to reward and promote from within.

Depending on your field, you might pursue a credential like:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Human resources certifications (PHR or SHRM)
• Sales certifications (Challenger Sale or Sandler Training)
• Communication training (People School)
• Network certifications for IT roles (CCNA or CCNP)

Not ready to go back to school? A Project Management Professional (PMP) certification can build real leadership experience and help you get your foot in the door for promotions.

5. Build leadership skills in your current role

So how do you build leadership skills before you’ve got the title? You add value to your team while crushing it right where you are. That’s it. No permission required.

A few ways to start:

• Speak up in meetings. Come prepared with insights and good questions. Be the first to raise your hand, and take every chance to present or speak publicly.
• Be a mentor. When a teammate has a question, practice explaining it clearly and kindly. Offer to let new hires shadow you, or just take them under your wing.
• Set a positive example. Act as if your reputation as a future manager is at stake, because it is. Hit your deadlines, communicate with respect and steer clear of workplace gossip.
• Lift up your colleagues. Celebrate teammates’ wins, compliment good work and showcase their accomplishments to your boss. Instead of grabbing the spotlight, share it.

Want to get sharper at reading people and motivating them? Our founder Vanessa Van Edwards covers exactly that in her bestselling book, Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication.

Jack Welch, the former chairman and CEO of General Electric, summed up the whole shift in his book Winning:

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

In your daily interactions, ask yourself one question: how can I help this person grow?

Learn more about the 8 Skills All Leadership Trainings Should Teach Managers.

6. Act and dress the part

Here’s a fun one. There’s a documented idea that what you wear shifts how you think and act, beyond shaping how others see you. The famous original experiment didn’t hold up on a careful repeat⁷, but a recent review pooling 40 studies⁸ found the effect is real, just smaller than first claimed. People in formal clothing often feel a bit more focused than they do in sweatpants. Your hoodie isn’t neutral.

So ask yourself: how do the leaders at my company carry themselves?

A few upgrades to feel and look more like a leader:

• Wear clean, well-fitting clothes. Keep your own style, but make sure everything fits and looks put-together.
• Stand up tall. Roll your shoulders back and lift your chest slightly. Upright posture helps you look steady and self-assured to the people around you. Learn How to Fix Your Posture (in Just 5 Minutes or Less).
• Speak with confidence. Speak a touch slower and lower, and trim the filler words. Here’s How to Speak with Confidence and Sound Better.
• Walk with purpose. People who walk at a moderately brisk pace⁹ (not rushed) are seen as more conscientious and emotionally stable. You look like you’re headed somewhere, with time to say hello along the way.

Your people skills and character will always matter most. But how you show up shapes how people see you. Learn more about Executive Presence: 10 Ways to Become a Charismatic Leader.

7. Network and build relationships

Every professional opportunity starts with a relationship. If you’re steadily building genuine rapport with colleagues and supervisors, you’re already halfway there.

The key word is genuine. People can smell it from a mile off when they’re being worked. So instead of scanning the room for who can get you promoted, ask:

• How can I add value to this relationship?
• What can I learn from this person?
• Who could I introduce them to that would help them?

“If we create networks with the sole intention of getting something, we won’t succeed. We can’t pursue the benefits of networks; the benefits ensue from investments in meaningful activities and relationships.”

—Adam Grant, Give and Take

Here’s a simple guide on How to Network: 18 Easy Networking Tips You Can Use Today.

Action Step: Use your next networking chance to find a mentor in a role you’d love to grow into. A good mentor can counsel you through hard moments, open doors and keep you accountable to your goals.

Here are 84 Killer Questions To Ask A Mentor For Better Self-Growth.

8. Apply for management roles and interview like a pro

Once you’ve put in the work above, it’s time to make your case. Even without a formal management title, all that stretch-project and mentoring experience becomes your evidence.

Your annual performance review is a natural moment to raise the topic of promotion. If no roles are open internally, look elsewhere or ask your network for leads.

Use this guide on How to Get a Job You Really Want: From Resume to Interview.

9. Join a growing company or industry

If you want to move up where you already work, have a direct career conversation with your manager. You can open with something like:

• “Do you have time this week to talk about my growth here? I’d love to take on a new project.”
• “I’m interested in the next open management role. How would you suggest I prepare?”

If you’re aiming for management in a new industry, pick a growing field where your interests and skills line up. As you research, ask whether the industry is:

• Profitable, with lots of healthy companies
• Actively hiring
• Forward-thinking

A quick look on Indeed, Glassdoor and LinkedIn can answer most of these. And in your interviews, ask questions that reveal a real path upward:

• Does this position have room for advancement?
• How does the company invest in employees’ development?
• Where does this organization see itself in 10 years?

Your First 90 Days as a Manager

Landing the role is just the starting line. So how do you actually thrive once you’re in the chair?

This is where a lot of new managers stumble, and often it’s genuinely not their fault. Companies have a knack for setting first-time managers up to struggle. One large study found that about 20% of first-time managers were rated as doing a poor job by their own team, 26% felt unprepared and nearly 60% got no training at all³ for the transition. Read that last number again. If your company won’t train you, you’ll have to be your own teacher.

A few moves consistently separate the managers who find their footing fast:

• Listen more than you talk for the first month. Map the people, the culture and what your team actually needs before you start changing things. The new managers who ask their boss for guidance usually find their boss is far more open to questions than they feared.
• Run consistent one-on-ones. A standing weekly check-in is one of the most reliable trust-builders you have. Gallup’s research links regular one-on-ones to dramatically higher engagement¹⁰, and it’s where coaching actually happens.
• Deliver an early win. Find one visible, meaningful improvement you can ship in your first couple of months. It builds your credibility with the team and your boss.
• Measure success by your team’s results. This is the whole shift, right here. Your old scoreboard tracked your own output, and your new one tracks how well your team delivers.

Try this: Before your first month is up, ask each person on your team two questions. What’s one thing that’s working that you want me to protect? And what’s one thing you’d change if you could? Then actually act on what you hear.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Being a Manager

A management role is a thrilling step up, and it hauls real trade-offs along with it. Weigh both honestly before you chase the title:

Benefits of Being a Manager	Drawbacks of Being a Manager
Higher pay and benefits	More responsibility
More authority and influence	Accountability for your team’s mistakes
Room for professional growth	More stress and tighter time constraints
A wider network of relationships	Hiring, firing and tough conversations
Real impact on the organization	Managing difficult people and competing priorities

And if you’re not ready for the heavier workload, the hard conversations and the constant plate-spinning of competing priorities? A management role might not be your right next move yet. That’s completely okay. Plenty of fulfilling, high-paying careers grow deeper instead of up, and there’s nothing second-place about that.

Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Manager

What skills do you need to become a manager?

The skills that matter most are relational: communication, emotional intelligence, delegation, coaching, conflict resolution and time management. Degrees and certifications help you stand out, but strong people skills are what actually set managers apart. The job is less about doing the work yourself and more about enabling your team to do it well.

How do you become a manager with no management experience?

Build leadership skills right where you are. Volunteer for stretch projects, speak up in meetings, mentor newer teammates and set a positive example. That track record lets you make a strong case for a promotion even before you’ve held a formal management title.

Why do strong employees sometimes make weak managers?

Because managing is a different job. A study of more than 50,000 workers found that top individual performers often became weaker managers, since the skills that made them great at their own work aren’t the skills that develop a team. The fix is to deliberately build the new skill set, especially delegation and coaching, before and during the transition.

How long does it take to become a manager?

It varies a lot by industry and person. Most people gain their first leadership experience as a team lead, supervisor or assistant manager before stepping into full management. Mapping your career trajectory and consistently taking on leadership opportunities is what speeds it up.

Key Takeaways: Become a Manager through Personal and Professional Development

There’s no secret shortcut to a management job, but there are dozens of ways to stack the deck in your favor. The biggest mindset shift is this: stop trying to be the best individual contributor in the room and start helping everyone around you get better.

You can start working toward management today by:

1. Mapping your career trajectory and finding a mentor
2. Volunteering for stretch projects that grow your skills
3. Leading yourself first with strong habits and self-awareness
4. Building leadership skills in your current role
5. Practicing delegation and coaching before you have a team
6. Networking and building genuine relationships
7. Applying and interviewing for roles at a growing company

And the day you do step into management? Remember it’s a learning assignment more than a final exam. Treat your first year that way, ask for help early and often, and measure your wins by your team’s growth. You’ve got this.

Once you land the role, here’s What Makes a Good Manager? Lessons From 4 Great Leaders.

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