Tero Professional Development Blog

Not everyone has that natural ability, and even those that are great with people, still need practice in managing and leading.

The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo, discusses the steps you take once becoming a manager. Julie Zhuo focuses on topics and knowledge that she would have found useful once becoming a manager at Facebook. She was told that she was great with everyone on the team so she must be a great manager, but that wasn't the case. Julie learned almost immediately being liked by everyone didn't mean she wasn't automatically a great manager. She definitely didn't feel manager ready when having a one-on-one with someone who just a few days prior was equal on the team with her, but now she was telling him what to do.

So how can you make sure you're a knockout manager? According to Zhuo these are the three crucial parts to being a manager:

• Build a team that works well together

• Support members in reaching their career goals

• Create processes to get work done smoothly and efficiently

Zhuo, who worked for Facebook, noted that some of the best help she received was in the form of a leadership training course. She focused on self-education, and making sure she was receiving the skills necessary to be a great manager. Zhuo knew that if she wasn't doing everything in her power to be the best, than her team wouldn't have trust in her decisions.

"Great managers are not born". - Julie Zhuo

However, being a manger doesn't mean being a leader according to Zhuo. Being a manager is a specific role says Zhuo, and leadership is a skill of being able to guide and influence other people.

At Tero, we believe leaders influence their team, ultimately making everyone successful in what they do. At least we hope that's the outcome. There will always be hiccups here and there, but the person you have leading you through them is important.