These 4 habits make or break a manager

But no-one really talks about them?

Hey team happy Tuesday,

I’m always so honest with you, and although I often talk about the promotions, pay rises and big career wins… They we’re never the full picture.

Any success I’ve seen in my management role has never been big, bold decisions or moments.

But instead, it always came down to the small stuff.

The boring, behind-the-scenes habits that I repeated every single day.

I’ve managed teams in startups, helped scale a SaaS business to multi-millions, and even led five teams inside a FTSE-100 company. And now I train new managers all over the world.

So these are the daily management habits I drilled into my own leadership routine, and now teach others to do, that made me infinitely a better manager.

Let’s get into the 4 habits that actually moved the needle.

1. Start every day with your top 3

One of the quickest ways to become a chaotic manager is to start your day by checking emails and Slack/Teams.

Most managers do it. You think you’re getting ahead. Think you’re getting some quick wins under your belt.

But really, you’re just diving headfirst into other people’s priorities and getting distracted in the most productive part of your day.

So here’s what I do (and what I teach every manager I work with):

Before you open anything, set your Top 3:

• One thing for you

• One thing for your team

• One thing that moves a long-term goal forward

That’s it. Just three. Every day.

It sounds simple. But it’s one of the most powerful habits you can build. Because over time it trains your brain to focus on what matters, not just what’s loudest.

2. Don’t save up feedback

You know all those big, dreaded “we need to talk” performance convos? (you’ve probably got one looming)…

Well, they’re mostly avoidable. Because they’re usually just a sign that feedback isn’t happening often enough.

The best managers don’t wait for quarterly reviews. They give feedback every day in tiny doses.

“Hey, you handled that client call really smoothly.”
“Could we double-check that data next time? It’ll save time in the meeting.”

These quick nudges build a culture of growth and accountability, without the fear of something big happening around the corner.

Your team starts to feel guided. They know where they stand. And they trust that you’ll tell them the truth in real time, not months later when it’s escalated into a bigger issue.

It’s simple: Little feedback, often.

Kick off the habit today.

3. Delegate with purpose (not just deadlines)

Proper delegation is also a habit. But there’s a killer mistake I see all the time…

You assign a task: “Can you run me that report by Friday?”

Technically, that’s delegation.
But does it inspire?
Does it make your team feel like they’re doing meaningful work? Probably not.

So here’s the habit I built instead:

When delegsting, always start with the why.

Before I assign anything, I write down the purpose at the top of the task. What’s it for? Who does it help? What outcome are we aiming for?

For example:

"This report helps our client make better decisions and when they grow, so do we”.

or

“Your attention to detail with data is exactly what’s needed here. Could you get this to me by Friday?"

That extra sentence or two changes the tone completely. You’ve gone from assigning a job to inviting someone into a bigger mission.

In my team, we use task boards to delegate. Let me show you a very recent, real example of something I delegated last week…

Behind the scenes, we are very deep in building out Fresh Start 2.0 (opening in September), and we want to make it the absolute best it possibly can be, so I wanted Levi to send out a feedback form to all our past students.

This is how it looks, notice the ‘purpose/why’:

Every delegation or task card starts with: “Why this matters”
And it makes a huge difference.

When people understand the purpose behind their work, they will bring more creativity, ownership, and pride to the task.

4. End your day like an athlete (hear me out)

Most managers end their day in a state of collapse.

Laptop slammed shut. Brain fried. Big sigh.
And then we wonder why we feel anxious in the evening.

Here’s something I learned the HARD way (in the gym)…

Never skip the cooldown. Just a super simple, 10-minute shutdown routine.

I use the last 10 minutes of every day to:

• Celebrate one thing I got done

• Remove myself from as many meetings as possible over the next few days

• Have a look at what my top 3 might be the next morning

This tiny habit gives me a clean break. It means I’m less likely to drag anxiety or stress into my evening. And means I won’t wake up scrambling the next day.

You need a few rock-solid, boring-but-brilliant habits

No one throws you a party for doing this stuff, sadly.

No one claps when you set your top three or give feedback in the hallway.

But this is the stuff that holds everything else together.

It’s the stuff that builds trust, sharpens focus, and keeps your team moving forward.

Start small. Pick one of these habits this week.
Then stack the next. And the next.

Over time, your confidence will grow.
Your communication will sharpen.
And your team’s results will speak for themselves.

Peace,

H x

P.S. If you’re ready to go deeper, Fresh Start opens again this September.

It’s the proven 6-week bootcamp to help managers level up, earn respect, and drive real results. Join the waitlist here - we’ve got very limited spots, and we’re making this cohort our best yet.