Good afternoon, I'm Liz from London, and working as a manager in my new role. I'm finding it awkward (?) managing those almost twice my age! Very pleased to have found your blog!
Hello! I'm Gemma and I'm based in Scotland. I've been in a management position for 3 years now and recently stepped up to operations manager. I feel like I finally got comfortable with my management style, now all of a sudden my title seems big and scary and I can feel the imposter syndrome creeping in once again. I listened to your episode on Dr Faye's podcast, I felt so inspired and knew I had to follow you for more!
And congratulations on stepping into the Operations Manager role.
I completely understand what you mean, every new level of leadership can bring a fresh wave of imposter syndrome, even when you were starting to feel confident in the level before. It doesn’t mean you’re not ready, it usually means you care and you’re stretching.
So glad Dr Faye’s podcast brought you here. Excited to have you learning with us, and I hope this space gives you lots of reassurance, clarity and practical tools as you grow into this next chapter.
Hello! I’m Jess in Nashville, TN. I’m stepping back into a leadership role this week after spending the past 2 years as an individual contributor. I’m excited to level-up and knock off the rust! Thankful to have found your Substack!
Love that, and welcome back to leadership. That shift from IC back into a leadership role can feel rusty at first, but it comes back quicker than you think. So glad you’ve found your way here, excited to have you with us. H
Hey, I’m Laura. I’m a VP in management consulting. I’ve been in the position around a year but was promoted twice quickly, so feel I’ve still got plenty to learn and refine. I have a tendency to over explain and could land messages with more impact.
Hey Laura, so lovely to have you here. And firstly, huge congratulations on the two promotions, that’s brilliant.
Over-explaining is such a common one, especially when you care about getting it right. Excited to have you in here, and hopefully we can help you sharpen the message without losing your warmth.
Hey, Im Mel! I'm from Belize, Central America and we run a family business selling school supplies. Our company is transitioning from first to second generation management and I've got to put my big girl pants on! Im looking to learn as much as I can abput healthy leadership. My biggest challenge right now is empowering our managers to lead their own teams and move us away from a history of micromanagement. I'm excited to be here and connect with this group ☺️
I love this and what a big chapter to be stepping into. Family businesses have such a unique dynamic, especially when you’re moving from first to second generation leadership, so I completely understand why this feels like a big moment.
Empowering managers to lead their own teams, especially after a history of micromanagement, is an important shift. It takes time, clarity and a lot of letting go, but it’s absolutely possible.
I’m so excited to have you here and I hope this space helps you feel really supported as you put those big girl pants on 😄
Hello! A few years into the management life and want to improve and sharpen my skills. Just starting a new position with tenured and newer employees and want to use the opportunity to exercise what I’m learning from your videos and teachings.
Welcome! This sounds like a brilliant moment to sharpen how you want to lead. Starting a new role with a mix of tenured and newer employees gives you a great opportunity to set the tone early, build trust properly and practise the things you’re learning as you go.
Hi Heather! I'm Yvonne from Nairobi, Kenya and currently super grateful to have come across your content.
I just stepped into a leadership role not too long ago and most times it feels like I don't know what I am doing let alone how to move the team forward. Looking forward to learning lots from you and the community and getting comfortable in these not so comfortable shoes I'm in at the moment. :)
I love how you described getting comfortable in shoes that don’t feel comfortable yet. That is such a good description of early leadership. It can feel like everyone has a manual you somehow missed, but so much of leadership is learned by doing, reflecting, adjusting and trying again.
The fact you’re here, paying attention, and wanting to move your team forward already says a lot. Glad you’ve found this space. H
Hi I’m Maria I lead a adult learning team there are a lot of new staff and I am finding it tricky training them and doing too much myself! I know I need to pass it on but it is overwhelming doing this avd training up at the same time!
Good Morning, I am Vaughan from Johannesburg, South Africa. I have recently started a consultancy where I manage teams (remotely as most are in the UK) for small SME's where the Founder/Director has no leadership ability but needs the team to be led.
I am so thrilled to have found you and am looking forward to putting all the insights into practise.
Hi everybody! I am Franzi from Germany. I have been working as a Teamlead in HR for the past 3 years. As my team is growing and working together mostly digitally, whilst our business is both struggling financially and very locally/ physically focussed (building materials) I am trying to find ways to keep my team motivated, engaged, connected and stakeholder focused. Looking forward to a lot of insights and experiences from everybody in this group and of course from Heather as well :)
I’m Eder, based in Mexico. I run a small consulting firm that helps micro and small businesses organize their operations and become reliable suppliers for larger companies.
One of my biggest leadership challenges right now is building a team of A-players who can take ownership, execute well, and help the company grow beyond the founder.
Great to be here and looking forward to learning from all of you.
Hi! I’m Erin writing from Virginia. I am a nurse by background who loved being a charge nurse but then stepped into an actual nurse manager role and hated every minute of it. Now 12 years later, I still am a work in progress when it comes to setting boundaries, effective communication, and empowering my teams. I really gravitated to the approach and wording you used in your post and am excited to learn more to help me continue this journey.
Olá! I’m Dandara from Brazil but living in Estonia. Been an operations team lead for the past 3 years but going back as an individual contributor soon! I’m recovering from a heavy burnout and taking a step back is necessary now, but my goal is to move up again when the opportunity comes :) loved watching you the on career ladder btw!
Hello, I’m Ellie, not officially in a management role (yet) but have taken on more leadership responsibilities within my organisation, guiding team members and actions. Glad to find your page to help fine tune things I am currently doing which should better place me for the move when that time comes. I’m the youngest and highest qualified member of small team and my challenges are taking the next step managing those who are 10+years older that have been doing the same job role for 20+ years.
What you’ve described is such a common (and tricky) position to be in, and the fact you’re already thinking about how to do this well says a lot about you. Leading people who are older and more experienced isn’t about proving you know more, it’s about how you show up, how you listen, and how you set standards with respect.
You’re doing exactly the right thing by fine-tuning this before the title arrives. That will make the transition so much smoother when it does. Looking forward to having you here and hearing how it unfolds. H
Hi I'm Catherine Director of Operations in a growing Charity. Biggest challenge is managing managers as we grow and leading by example when managing my own small team of 4.
Hi Catherine, you are so welcome here. Managing managers while still leading your own small team is one of the toughest leadership challenges as organisations grow, especially in the charity space. You’re not alone in this at all, it’s a really common stretch point, and a lot of the work comes down to clarity, consistency, and modelling the standards you want others to lead by. I like to be very explicit about what good looks like. For instance, instead of hoping your managers 'handle issues well,' you might agree that this means regular 1:1s, addressing problems early, and following through on decisions. Then you role-model that yourself with your own team, so expectations feel clear and consistent rather than assumed. H
Hello, I am Maxim from North Yorkshire - I have been in management now for 4 years but I know I can always improve and am open to any tips and tricks I can take from others.
Good afternoon, I'm Liz from London, and working as a manager in my new role. I'm finding it awkward (?) managing those almost twice my age! Very pleased to have found your blog!
Hey Liz, happy to have you here! I've felt the exact same way before & I wrote a blog post about it which could be helpful for you. Here it is: https://www.inthemakingleadership.com/p/when-youre-younger-than-the-people
Hello! I'm Gemma and I'm based in Scotland. I've been in a management position for 3 years now and recently stepped up to operations manager. I feel like I finally got comfortable with my management style, now all of a sudden my title seems big and scary and I can feel the imposter syndrome creeping in once again. I listened to your episode on Dr Faye's podcast, I felt so inspired and knew I had to follow you for more!
Excited to learn & improve X
Welcome Gemma, so lovely to have you here 🤍
And congratulations on stepping into the Operations Manager role.
I completely understand what you mean, every new level of leadership can bring a fresh wave of imposter syndrome, even when you were starting to feel confident in the level before. It doesn’t mean you’re not ready, it usually means you care and you’re stretching.
So glad Dr Faye’s podcast brought you here. Excited to have you learning with us, and I hope this space gives you lots of reassurance, clarity and practical tools as you grow into this next chapter.
H x
Hello! I’m Jess in Nashville, TN. I’m stepping back into a leadership role this week after spending the past 2 years as an individual contributor. I’m excited to level-up and knock off the rust! Thankful to have found your Substack!
Hey Jess, welcome 👋
Love that, and welcome back to leadership. That shift from IC back into a leadership role can feel rusty at first, but it comes back quicker than you think. So glad you’ve found your way here, excited to have you with us. H
Hey, I’m Laura. I’m a VP in management consulting. I’ve been in the position around a year but was promoted twice quickly, so feel I’ve still got plenty to learn and refine. I have a tendency to over explain and could land messages with more impact.
Hey Laura, so lovely to have you here. And firstly, huge congratulations on the two promotions, that’s brilliant.
Over-explaining is such a common one, especially when you care about getting it right. Excited to have you in here, and hopefully we can help you sharpen the message without losing your warmth.
Hey, Im Mel! I'm from Belize, Central America and we run a family business selling school supplies. Our company is transitioning from first to second generation management and I've got to put my big girl pants on! Im looking to learn as much as I can abput healthy leadership. My biggest challenge right now is empowering our managers to lead their own teams and move us away from a history of micromanagement. I'm excited to be here and connect with this group ☺️
Hey Mel, so lovely to have you here!
I love this and what a big chapter to be stepping into. Family businesses have such a unique dynamic, especially when you’re moving from first to second generation leadership, so I completely understand why this feels like a big moment.
Empowering managers to lead their own teams, especially after a history of micromanagement, is an important shift. It takes time, clarity and a lot of letting go, but it’s absolutely possible.
I’m so excited to have you here and I hope this space helps you feel really supported as you put those big girl pants on 😄
H
Hello! A few years into the management life and want to improve and sharpen my skills. Just starting a new position with tenured and newer employees and want to use the opportunity to exercise what I’m learning from your videos and teachings.
Welcome! This sounds like a brilliant moment to sharpen how you want to lead. Starting a new role with a mix of tenured and newer employees gives you a great opportunity to set the tone early, build trust properly and practise the things you’re learning as you go.
So glad you’re here 💛
Hi Heather! I'm Yvonne from Nairobi, Kenya and currently super grateful to have come across your content.
I just stepped into a leadership role not too long ago and most times it feels like I don't know what I am doing let alone how to move the team forward. Looking forward to learning lots from you and the community and getting comfortable in these not so comfortable shoes I'm in at the moment. :)
Yvonne, welcome, so lovely to have you here.
I love how you described getting comfortable in shoes that don’t feel comfortable yet. That is such a good description of early leadership. It can feel like everyone has a manual you somehow missed, but so much of leadership is learned by doing, reflecting, adjusting and trying again.
The fact you’re here, paying attention, and wanting to move your team forward already says a lot. Glad you’ve found this space. H
Hi I’m Maria I lead a adult learning team there are a lot of new staff and I am finding it tricky training them and doing too much myself! I know I need to pass it on but it is overwhelming doing this avd training up at the same time!
Welcome Maria!
Good Morning, I am Vaughan from Johannesburg, South Africa. I have recently started a consultancy where I manage teams (remotely as most are in the UK) for small SME's where the Founder/Director has no leadership ability but needs the team to be led.
I am so thrilled to have found you and am looking forward to putting all the insights into practise.
Hi everybody! I am Franzi from Germany. I have been working as a Teamlead in HR for the past 3 years. As my team is growing and working together mostly digitally, whilst our business is both struggling financially and very locally/ physically focussed (building materials) I am trying to find ways to keep my team motivated, engaged, connected and stakeholder focused. Looking forward to a lot of insights and experiences from everybody in this group and of course from Heather as well :)
Hey Franzi! Love to have you here, exctied to learn alongside you
Hi everyone!
I’m Eder, based in Mexico. I run a small consulting firm that helps micro and small businesses organize their operations and become reliable suppliers for larger companies.
One of my biggest leadership challenges right now is building a team of A-players who can take ownership, execute well, and help the company grow beyond the founder.
Great to be here and looking forward to learning from all of you.
Welcome Eder!
Hi! I’m Erin writing from Virginia. I am a nurse by background who loved being a charge nurse but then stepped into an actual nurse manager role and hated every minute of it. Now 12 years later, I still am a work in progress when it comes to setting boundaries, effective communication, and empowering my teams. I really gravitated to the approach and wording you used in your post and am excited to learn more to help me continue this journey.
Olá! I’m Dandara from Brazil but living in Estonia. Been an operations team lead for the past 3 years but going back as an individual contributor soon! I’m recovering from a heavy burnout and taking a step back is necessary now, but my goal is to move up again when the opportunity comes :) loved watching you the on career ladder btw!
Ah glad you loved the Career Ladder!! And really happy that you're taking the step back. So important. Welcome <3 x
Hello, I’m Ellie, not officially in a management role (yet) but have taken on more leadership responsibilities within my organisation, guiding team members and actions. Glad to find your page to help fine tune things I am currently doing which should better place me for the move when that time comes. I’m the youngest and highest qualified member of small team and my challenges are taking the next step managing those who are 10+years older that have been doing the same job role for 20+ years.
Hey Ellie, welcome, I’m really glad you’re here.
What you’ve described is such a common (and tricky) position to be in, and the fact you’re already thinking about how to do this well says a lot about you. Leading people who are older and more experienced isn’t about proving you know more, it’s about how you show up, how you listen, and how you set standards with respect.
You’re doing exactly the right thing by fine-tuning this before the title arrives. That will make the transition so much smoother when it does. Looking forward to having you here and hearing how it unfolds. H
Hi I'm Catherine Director of Operations in a growing Charity. Biggest challenge is managing managers as we grow and leading by example when managing my own small team of 4.
Hi Catherine, you are so welcome here. Managing managers while still leading your own small team is one of the toughest leadership challenges as organisations grow, especially in the charity space. You’re not alone in this at all, it’s a really common stretch point, and a lot of the work comes down to clarity, consistency, and modelling the standards you want others to lead by. I like to be very explicit about what good looks like. For instance, instead of hoping your managers 'handle issues well,' you might agree that this means regular 1:1s, addressing problems early, and following through on decisions. Then you role-model that yourself with your own team, so expectations feel clear and consistent rather than assumed. H
Hello, I am Maxim from North Yorkshire - I have been in management now for 4 years but I know I can always improve and am open to any tips and tricks I can take from others.
Hey Maxim, welcome, great to have you here.
That mindset alone (four years in and still wanting to improve) is what separates managers who plateau from those who keep getting better.
You’ll find plenty in here that’s practical and very usable, and I’d love to know which areas of management you’re most focused on right now. H