The five most common mistakes managers make—and how to avoid them

Stepping into a management role for the first time can be as thrilling as daunting. Many managers assume that success in their previous role guarantees success in leading a team—but that couldn’t be further from the truth in my experience. Here, I’ll share the top five mistakes I made as a new manager and how I turned things around, transforming my team into an award-winning powerhouse. If you are an experienced manager, you might want to check to see if any of these mistakes below are relevant to you.

Mistake #1: Thinking you’re the expert

When I was promoted to lead a team of UK business consultants, I was profoundly excited and humbled by this opportunity. I hadn’t directly focused on this as part of my career plan so to have senior management come to me and recognise this potential was very rewarding.

I’d had national and international success as a business consultant, so I thought my proven methods would ensure our team’s performance.

The fact that senior management had seen my behaviours and thought I would be an ideal leader made me even more determined. These events, to some degree, were my undoing to begin with. It meant my leadership style came from assuming I was the expert, and this mindset completely backfired. Instead of empowering my team, I inadvertently created an environment where synergy faltered. I felt my team was working against me rather than with me.

The breakthrough came when I invested in Manager Training. I learned that my role wasn’t about being directive—it was about being a coach to my team and individual members. I shifted my focus to empowering others to learn, make non-critical mistakes, and grow in their roles. I also prioritised personal connections with each team member, uncovering their intrinsic motivations and developing an environment of trust and shared purpose as a core priority.

By embracing these changes, I went from an ineffective leader to earning national and international awards for leading winning teams. The lesson? Success in your previous role doesn’t automatically translate to leadership success. Great leaders are made, not born, and need coaching and development like everyone else.

Mistake #2: Failing to build trust and connection

In my early days as a manager, I didn’t take the time to personally connect as much as I should have with my direct reports. I underestimated how important it was to understand their individual goals, motivations, and communication styles and to develop and nurture that caring side as a manager, which is fundamental to people to relate to.

Once I prioritised connection-building, everything changed for me as an empowering leader, and I began to build a team united by trust and shared purpose.

Mistake #3: Relying on your old skillset

One of the biggest challenges for new managers is realising that the skills that made you a star in your previous role won’t necessarily help you as a leader. For me, this was a hard pill to swallow. My contributions as a consultant were no longer the focus, and sometimes, this was quite hard to let go of. Leadership requires new skills, which I have only developed through structured learning, coaching, and practice.

Mistake #4: Overlooking the power of coaching

Early in my leadership journey, I believed giving instructions was enough to inspire extraordinary results. By nature, my learning style is quite structured and task oriented. I didn’t fully understand the power of coaching—encouraging team members to think for themselves, solve problems, and take ownership of their work. I also didn’t appreciate the need to flex my communication style to ensure team members understood and were empowered by my communication style and messages.

Once I embraced a coaching mindset, my team’s engagement and performance soared.

Mistake #5: Ignoring resilience and learning

I had to confront failure head-on and use it as a stepping stone to growth. Leadership is a craft that requires resilience, self-awareness, and a commitment to lifelong learning.

Investing in structured leadership training and seeking mentors made all the difference in turning my failures into triumphs. Showing humility is also a strength, as I have tried to do in this article. When we share our mistakes, our collective learning will increase, and employee connections will deepen. When a manager leads in this fashion, team members can own up to their mistakes and create a culture that focuses on continual learning and improvement.

Ready to transform your leadership?

If my journey resonates with you, I’d love to help you on your leadership journey. Whether you’re looking to build a high-performing team, reduce workplace stress, or become the best version of yourself as a leader, I’m here to help. Please reach out to me at [email protected]