Thinking about becoming a manager... and if it’s actually the right move (for you)? Or you've been a manager for some time, and thinking about what you need to know? A lot of people talk about leadership like it’s the natural “next step,” but it’s a different job with different expectations - and different rewards. Before you say yes, it’s worth taking a pause to think about what you want your career (and honestly, your life) to look like.

Often, people get promoted because they’re great at their job, and there’s this unspoken expectation that if you’re good at the work, you’ll automatically be good at leading the people who do the work. You might even assume that yourself - until you step into the role and realize it’s a whole different skill set. Some parts feel harder than you expected, and some parts can end up being much easier once you understand what really matters.

When you approach management intentionally, with your eyes open and the right support, it becomes more than approving time off or running meetings. It becomes the way you shape someone’s career, their confidence and even their life outside of work. Here’s what to think about as you decide if this path is right for you.

1. Think About How This Changes Your Day-to-Day Life

People often focus on the change to your job duties, but it's also important to consider what becoming a manager means for your career and your life. Managing people can open doors - it often gives you more visibility, more influence and a different kind of career trajectory with opportunities you may not get as an individual contributor.

But it also changes how your time works. Your team needs you in different ways. Senior leadership expects more from you. You’re suddenly balancing your own workload with being available for questions, decisions, coaching and the random “Do you have a minute?” moments that pop up all day. And if you don’t love the way managers in your organization currently operate - the hours they keep, how they communicate, how they show up for their teams - you get to choose what you model.

You can decide what you’re available for, how you set expectations and boundaries and how you support your team without losing yourself in the process. If thinking about shaping that experience for yourself and for the people you lead feels meaningful to you, then you can absolutely do that as a manager.

2. Be Honest About Whether You Want to Lead or Just Move Up

Some people want to be managers because it feels like the next box to check. Others are intentional about wanting to coach, develop and guide people. Both are normal feelings - but management fits better when you’re genuinely excited about helping your team grow. And this isn’t judgment, it’s reality: it can feel tempting (and human) to worry about your team getting the credit instead of you.

But when you’re a manager, their credit becomes yours too. The measure of your success shifts from “I did a good job” to “my team did a good job because of the support I gave them.” And that shift is what separates someone who enjoys managing from someone who wonders if they're cut out for it.

3. Emotional skills matter — and yes, they’re skills you can learn

A lot of potential managers get stuck on, “I’m not patient enough,” or “I don’t love conflict.” But emotional skills are still skills - just like learning your current job. You learn how to give feedback. You learn how to navigate conflict. You learn how to support someone who’s overwhelmed.

And one of the most important emotional skills is this: you don’t need to know it all.

The best managers aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who ask good questions. The ones who say, “Tell me more,” or “Walk me through how you’re thinking about this,” or “What options have you considered?” You grow faster - and your team grows faster - when you stop trying to be the expert and start trying to understand.

4. How you react matters as much as what you decide

People worry about making the wrong call, but the truth is that most moments at work pivot on your reaction, not your conclusion.

If someone brings you an idea you don’t love and you respond in a way that feels harsh or dismissive, they will remember that. Even if you didn’t mean it that way. They’ll hesitate next time - even if the next idea is fantastic. Your reaction in that one moment can shape all the moments after it.

But when you react with curiosity, even if the idea doesn't end up getting used, people feel comfortable bringing you ideas later, including the great ones you're glad they did. Instead of starting with a "no" and shaking your head, listen and discuss. A quick “Let’s talk it through” makes a huge difference. You’re not necessarily saying yes to the idea; you’re saying yes to the conversation. And that’s what builds trust. It shows your team you won’t shut them down for trying, which means they’re way more likely to come back with something stronger next time.

Leadership is less about having the perfect answer and more about how you handle the moments when you don’t.

5. You grow by learning from other leaders — not doing it alone

Your leadership style won’t be fully formed on day one. Start by thinking about the leaders you've had yourself - what you want to model and what you (maybe definitely) don’t. Consider the things they've done that make work feel easier, and also the things that didn't. You can borrow the pieces that feel right, skip the ones that don’t and build something that actually fits you.

And the best way to do all of this is to really think about it instead of just getting through each day without stopping. Put time on your calendar for those pauses - those “okay, what's the right outcome here, and how should I handle this to get there?” moments - and adjust as you go. You build your leadership style from exposure, experience and intention, and that takes time and patience.

6. The benefits of being a manager go way beyond the title

The best part of managing isn’t just the title change (or the paycheck). It’s watching someone grow into a role they didn’t think they could handle. It’s seeing someone’s confidence grow over time. It’s knowing you helped someone have a better day at work - or a better weekend - because they felt supported. You learn communication, problem-solving and empathy that carry into the rest of your life, too.

Management becomes this ripple effect that impacts your team's work, and the lives they live outside of work.

7. You don’t need to feel “ready” — you just need to be willing

No one feels fully prepared for their first leadership role. You grow into it. If you’re willing to ask questions, try things, learn from mistakes and keep going, you’re already in a strong position to become the kind of manager people appreciate and remember.

Looking for more resources?

This week's video brings these points home - watch and share it if it's helpful to you. And every week, I share practical, real-world manager tips on the Manager Method blog and Manager Method Minute email.

At Manager Method, we offer courses like Manager 101, Manager 201 and Employee Success that you can take yourself or roll out to a group of managers - including tools to help the learning stick long after the lessons end. You can also preorder my book The Manager Method here. Explore everything or set up a call for your organization at Manager Method.