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!
Hi - I'm Nadine from Ontario, Canada. I'm a manager, recently hired. I'm in a new industry. While my team is young, they definitely know more than I do about our services. I want to find ways to add value as I'm onboarding and learning about the company and the industry/sector.
Hey Nadine, Thanks for sharing this, it’s such a real and often unspoken challenge, especially when stepping into a new role in unfamiliar territory.
One of the best ways you can add value early on is by being the person who brings clarity, not answers. Your fresh eyes are a superpower. Ask the questions others stopped asking. Spot where things are clunky, repetitive, or confusing. That’s gold for any team.
Even if you don’t have all the technical expertise yet, you can still make people’s work easier by unblocking slow processes, advocating for what your team needs, or protecting their time.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to own your learning journey openly. It builds trust. Say things like, “I’m here to learn from you as much as lead you,” and you’ll likely find your team stepping up even more.
Hey, this is Ali from Bulgaria. I have been leading a team of 6 since last year (we were a smaller team before that, and now we have new joiners as well as members back from maternity leave), when I also had to start working remotely. So, I am working from home while my team - from the office. Naturally, one of my biggest challenges was to build a culture, motivate my team, ensure they trust me, train them, and delegate - all from a distance. We've built systems that worked out for us, and I've been learning a lot from you throughout this journey. Now, I want to keep the momentum going, create space for my team members to develop further, and of course, to challenge myself to continue growing.
Hey Ali, thank you so much for sharing this. What a brilliant reflection! It’s often tricky to lead from a distance, especially while navigating team changes and returners from leave. The fact that you’ve built systems that work and created trust remotely speaks volumes about your intentionality and leadership.
I love that you’re thinking about momentum and development, that’s such a powerful combo. Keep carving out that space for growth (for them and for you), and I’m so glad to be even a small part of your journey. Cheering you on from here! H
Hi I'm Ben, from Basingstoke Hampshire. I work in the People Team (HR) at a Sports team/organisation (~1000 employees) and I'm in my first official management role, so on a learning curve! My biggest challenge right now is balancing my individual contributor job vs. my management role, and ensuring I'm focused on the right priorities in a fast-paced world.
Hi! I'm Abi from London, I run Elent financial education and a team of 5. Small but powerful ☺️ Love to chat about creating those set of "values" often talked about for a young company and how we start that.
I'm Mekonnen Alemu. I'm from Ethiopia and I work for one of the well known big private schools in Addis Ababa. I'm positioned as principal. One of my biggest my biggest challenges is that there are a lot of routines in school. And I struggle the whole day dealing with this routines that hinder me from being strategic and focusing on what matter the most.
What you’ve said really resonates as so many managers (especially in schools or other large organisations) get swallowed by routines and end up firefighting all day. It’s frustrating because you know your value is in the bigger, strategic work, but the day-to-day pulls you under.
You’re definitely not alone in that, and I’m excited for you to dig into the conversations here, we’ll be unpacking lots of ways to step back from the noise and carve out space for what matters most.
Hello! I’m Colin from Baltimore, Maryland, USA and I manage a team of fully remote employees in a different time zone. I’m in financial services and have been a supervisor for 8 years but only managing a full team for 1 year. My team has been on an island, doing processes differently for many years so it’s a bit challenging to bring them into alignment with the expectations of the larger organization. I’m working to develop clear goals for the year and measure back to them regularly. Thanks!
Hi, my name is yasmina, from Montreal, Canada. I work in HR, in improving employee experience more specifically and in paving the way to a shift in organizational cultural change. It’s a new field for me and I’m loving it. What keeps my thoughts running right now is how to engage our managers in the process of changing the culture and making them more accountable for their employee experience.
Hello! I'm Ross - I currently work in Harworth, Doncaster for an e-commerce furniture and interiors business called Melody Maison - I am the Head of Sales and Marketing, but I am also responsible for being the office manager. My core team is 5 people, but I am responsible for about 15 all together.
I'm also the younger brother of the one and only Heather Elkington!
Hi I'm Billie, so happy to be here. I'm in my late thirties and have just taken on my first head of department role as Director of Learning & Development in the commercial real estate industry. It is an internal promotion, therefore now have direct reports who were my peers two weeks ago. I am passionate about finding a way to develop the teams personal growth goals, and also align the business strategy with a people first mindset. I am about autonomy and I really don't micro manage. It feels like a big leap but one I am beyond excited to jump into.
Welcome! That’s such an exciting transition and a huge congrats on the promotion.
Moving from peer to manager can feel like a real mindset shift, but it sounds like you already have such strong foundations with your focus on autonomy and growth. My advice in this kind of situation is to be really intentional about resetting expectations early. It helps your old peers see you in your new role without any awkwardness, and builds clarity on how you’ll work together moving forward. H
Hello. I am Mary from Kalamazoo, Michigan and I was recently promoted to a management position of 5 client service professionals. The biggest challenge I am facing is getting everyone on the team to move in the same direction that I am trying to lead them in. I have a few (specifically one) individuals who want to fight against the direction I want them to go.
Welcome to the community Mary! This is such a common (and honestly, one of the hardest) challenges.
Often when someone resists a direction, it comes down to either not being clear on the why, not feeling capable of delivering, or just being uncomfortable with change. A good first step is getting curious with them and ask what’s really behind the resistance.
And if you’ve been clear and supportive, then it shifts into accountability. One person can’t be allowed to hold back the whole team.
You’re definitely not alone in this as so many managers face the exact same struggle.
Hi! I’m Becca from St. Louis, Missouri. I am a sales director at a non-alcoholic beverage company with 4 direct reports and 15 total folks on my team. I have managed teams before, then gone back to solo contributor work, and now back to managing a team. I struggle with delegating and solving my team’s problems for them, versus letting them take more ownership and solve issues themselves. I often get stuck in the weeds doing the work versus thinking more strategically. Hoping to improve and found your Substack posts helpful!
Welcome! And thanks for sharing so openly as you’ve described one of the most common traps managers fall into (and one I’ve definitely been guilty of too). Shifting from doer to effective delegating takes practice, but you’re already halfway there by being aware of it.
I'm excited to have you here and I think you’ll find a lot of us are working on the same balance between getting out of the weeds and making more space for strategy.
Good Morning, I am Jess from Hull. I manager a small team covering a split function with each member doing very different work. I find if difficult to find time to support and develop the team due to the volume of work we are handling.
Hey Jess! Great to have you here, you're for sure not the only one with struggling around time management, I'll add it to my list of topics to cover asap!
Hello, my name is Eddah and I'm from Harare, Zimbabwe. My biggest challenge is motiviating a young team with different levels of capacity and skill to become a high performing team but also managing my own energy as I support them.
Welcome to the community! That’s such an honest reflection and a challenge so many managers relate to. Supporting a young team with varying skills while keeping your own energy steady is a real balancing act.
The fact you’re thinking about both performance and your own sustainability tells me you’re already on the right track. We’ll definitely be talking about strategies here that help you lift your team without burning yourself out in the process. H
Hi! My name is Mary, I'm from the USA, and I work as a manager in the mortgage industry. My biggest challenge is leading in a company with little to no structure/support for organizational leadership. I find it hard to lead my team with clarity when I don't have clarity in my own role as far goals, personal and professional development, P&L's, etc.
Hi Mary, welcome to the community! That’s such a tough spot to be in, it’s hard to give direction when you’re not given any yourself. If you could get clarity on just one thing right now, what would make the biggest difference for you and your team? H
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
Hi - I'm Nadine from Ontario, Canada. I'm a manager, recently hired. I'm in a new industry. While my team is young, they definitely know more than I do about our services. I want to find ways to add value as I'm onboarding and learning about the company and the industry/sector.
Hey Nadine, Thanks for sharing this, it’s such a real and often unspoken challenge, especially when stepping into a new role in unfamiliar territory.
One of the best ways you can add value early on is by being the person who brings clarity, not answers. Your fresh eyes are a superpower. Ask the questions others stopped asking. Spot where things are clunky, repetitive, or confusing. That’s gold for any team.
Even if you don’t have all the technical expertise yet, you can still make people’s work easier by unblocking slow processes, advocating for what your team needs, or protecting their time.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to own your learning journey openly. It builds trust. Say things like, “I’m here to learn from you as much as lead you,” and you’ll likely find your team stepping up even more.
You’ve got this! H
Thank you! Such great tips and reminders to find my strength and confidence during this transition. I appreciate it.
Hey, this is Ali from Bulgaria. I have been leading a team of 6 since last year (we were a smaller team before that, and now we have new joiners as well as members back from maternity leave), when I also had to start working remotely. So, I am working from home while my team - from the office. Naturally, one of my biggest challenges was to build a culture, motivate my team, ensure they trust me, train them, and delegate - all from a distance. We've built systems that worked out for us, and I've been learning a lot from you throughout this journey. Now, I want to keep the momentum going, create space for my team members to develop further, and of course, to challenge myself to continue growing.
Hey Ali, thank you so much for sharing this. What a brilliant reflection! It’s often tricky to lead from a distance, especially while navigating team changes and returners from leave. The fact that you’ve built systems that work and created trust remotely speaks volumes about your intentionality and leadership.
I love that you’re thinking about momentum and development, that’s such a powerful combo. Keep carving out that space for growth (for them and for you), and I’m so glad to be even a small part of your journey. Cheering you on from here! H
I’m Melody, living in St. Petersburg Florida. My biggest challenge at the moment is boundaries- and being able to speak my mind openingly.
It's amazing to have you here Melody!
We have a full blog post on Boundaries including a 30 day challenge you can join - Just search 'boundaries' at the top
Thank you for being here
Hi I'm Ben, from Basingstoke Hampshire. I work in the People Team (HR) at a Sports team/organisation (~1000 employees) and I'm in my first official management role, so on a learning curve! My biggest challenge right now is balancing my individual contributor job vs. my management role, and ensuring I'm focused on the right priorities in a fast-paced world.
Hey Ben! Congrats on the first official management role 👏
Yep, that hits home I feel like we're all in that position at the beginning.
Pleased you're here
Hi! I'm Abi from London, I run Elent financial education and a team of 5. Small but powerful ☺️ Love to chat about creating those set of "values" often talked about for a young company and how we start that.
Welcome Abi! On it - Next blog post incoming 😉
I'm Mekonnen Alemu. I'm from Ethiopia and I work for one of the well known big private schools in Addis Ababa. I'm positioned as principal. One of my biggest my biggest challenges is that there are a lot of routines in school. And I struggle the whole day dealing with this routines that hinder me from being strategic and focusing on what matter the most.
Welcome to the community! So glad you’re here.
What you’ve said really resonates as so many managers (especially in schools or other large organisations) get swallowed by routines and end up firefighting all day. It’s frustrating because you know your value is in the bigger, strategic work, but the day-to-day pulls you under.
You’re definitely not alone in that, and I’m excited for you to dig into the conversations here, we’ll be unpacking lots of ways to step back from the noise and carve out space for what matters most.
H
Hello! I’m Colin from Baltimore, Maryland, USA and I manage a team of fully remote employees in a different time zone. I’m in financial services and have been a supervisor for 8 years but only managing a full team for 1 year. My team has been on an island, doing processes differently for many years so it’s a bit challenging to bring them into alignment with the expectations of the larger organization. I’m working to develop clear goals for the year and measure back to them regularly. Thanks!
Welcome Colin, appreciate you sharing this with us.
Hi, my name is yasmina, from Montreal, Canada. I work in HR, in improving employee experience more specifically and in paving the way to a shift in organizational cultural change. It’s a new field for me and I’m loving it. What keeps my thoughts running right now is how to engage our managers in the process of changing the culture and making them more accountable for their employee experience.
That's amazing to hear Yasmina welcome 👏
Accountability is fascinating to me, and a topic I love to cover so you'll see it come through a lot
This post might be helpful as a starting point - https://www.inthemakingleadership.com/p/the-4-steps-to-building-a-hyper-accountable?utm_source=publication-search
It's great to have you here! H x
Fellow Montrealer here! :) I just moved to Longueuil a few months ago, but I'm not far...I've lived in MTL for years!
Welcome Marlène, it's great to have you here! 😊
Hello! I'm Ross - I currently work in Harworth, Doncaster for an e-commerce furniture and interiors business called Melody Maison - I am the Head of Sales and Marketing, but I am also responsible for being the office manager. My core team is 5 people, but I am responsible for about 15 all together.
I'm also the younger brother of the one and only Heather Elkington!
Here he is 👋 ❤️
Hi I'm Billie, so happy to be here. I'm in my late thirties and have just taken on my first head of department role as Director of Learning & Development in the commercial real estate industry. It is an internal promotion, therefore now have direct reports who were my peers two weeks ago. I am passionate about finding a way to develop the teams personal growth goals, and also align the business strategy with a people first mindset. I am about autonomy and I really don't micro manage. It feels like a big leap but one I am beyond excited to jump into.
Welcome! That’s such an exciting transition and a huge congrats on the promotion.
Moving from peer to manager can feel like a real mindset shift, but it sounds like you already have such strong foundations with your focus on autonomy and growth. My advice in this kind of situation is to be really intentional about resetting expectations early. It helps your old peers see you in your new role without any awkwardness, and builds clarity on how you’ll work together moving forward. H
Hello. I am Mary from Kalamazoo, Michigan and I was recently promoted to a management position of 5 client service professionals. The biggest challenge I am facing is getting everyone on the team to move in the same direction that I am trying to lead them in. I have a few (specifically one) individuals who want to fight against the direction I want them to go.
Welcome to the community Mary! This is such a common (and honestly, one of the hardest) challenges.
Often when someone resists a direction, it comes down to either not being clear on the why, not feeling capable of delivering, or just being uncomfortable with change. A good first step is getting curious with them and ask what’s really behind the resistance.
And if you’ve been clear and supportive, then it shifts into accountability. One person can’t be allowed to hold back the whole team.
You’re definitely not alone in this as so many managers face the exact same struggle.
You've got this, H x
Hi! I’m Becca from St. Louis, Missouri. I am a sales director at a non-alcoholic beverage company with 4 direct reports and 15 total folks on my team. I have managed teams before, then gone back to solo contributor work, and now back to managing a team. I struggle with delegating and solving my team’s problems for them, versus letting them take more ownership and solve issues themselves. I often get stuck in the weeds doing the work versus thinking more strategically. Hoping to improve and found your Substack posts helpful!
Welcome! And thanks for sharing so openly as you’ve described one of the most common traps managers fall into (and one I’ve definitely been guilty of too). Shifting from doer to effective delegating takes practice, but you’re already halfway there by being aware of it.
I'm excited to have you here and I think you’ll find a lot of us are working on the same balance between getting out of the weeds and making more space for strategy.
Good Morning, I am Jess from Hull. I manager a small team covering a split function with each member doing very different work. I find if difficult to find time to support and develop the team due to the volume of work we are handling.
Hey Jess! Great to have you here, you're for sure not the only one with struggling around time management, I'll add it to my list of topics to cover asap!
Hello, my name is Eddah and I'm from Harare, Zimbabwe. My biggest challenge is motiviating a young team with different levels of capacity and skill to become a high performing team but also managing my own energy as I support them.
Welcome to the community! That’s such an honest reflection and a challenge so many managers relate to. Supporting a young team with varying skills while keeping your own energy steady is a real balancing act.
The fact you’re thinking about both performance and your own sustainability tells me you’re already on the right track. We’ll definitely be talking about strategies here that help you lift your team without burning yourself out in the process. H
Hi! My name is Mary, I'm from the USA, and I work as a manager in the mortgage industry. My biggest challenge is leading in a company with little to no structure/support for organizational leadership. I find it hard to lead my team with clarity when I don't have clarity in my own role as far goals, personal and professional development, P&L's, etc.
Hi Mary, welcome to the community! That’s such a tough spot to be in, it’s hard to give direction when you’re not given any yourself. If you could get clarity on just one thing right now, what would make the biggest difference for you and your team? H