2 essential skills for every Engineering Manager
Be Flexible - Adopt - Embrace Change - Take Risk
Adaptivity - Embrace change
Flexibility - Take risk
It's important to acknowledge that actively seeking guidance on becoming a manager is a commendable endeavor. However, it's crucial to recognize that not all advice is equally valuable. Most information is merely the opinions of an author who wishes to share their knowledge to equip others better. There are no definitive, foolproof strategies or 'silver bullets' for becoming an exemplary manager.
However, there are skills that are essential for every manager who’s looking to be the best manager one can be.
Adaptivity
Adaptability is an essential trait a manager must have to ensure longevity in the corporate world. Adaptability is one trait that has seen the human race and other animals survive over changing times. Species that were not able to adapt ultimately became extinct. This is also true of managers, and we must be flexible and adaptable to the changes in management styles to remain competitive and helpful. While adaptability is something everyone can all benefit from, it’s particularly critical for leaders.
As a leader grows from being a supervisor to a middle manager—and finally, to a senior position–they will need to adapt to changes in management style.
Leadership roles become more complex as you progress in an organization, requiring more subtle influencing and persuading skills. Also, the higher a leader’s position, the greater the need to learn how to empower, delegate, form strategic alliances, and let go of skills that worked earlier but are no longer useful.
Embrace Change
Change is a constant in life. Thus, as a manager, you must be willing to embrace change whenever it happens. The world itself constantly evolves: we’ve moved from the stone age to the analog age and now to the digital age. The past ten years have ushered in a wave of technological advancements that have further propelled the world’s development and made our lives much more comfortable.
You must ensure that change is positive, helpful, and pushes you to attain higher achievement. Therefore, embrace that change today.
Embracing changes may mean dealing with anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. You should expect these, and you shouldn’t see them as unexpected.
Flexibility
Another skill to learn as a manager is flexibility. It would help to remember that you are flexible and need to adapt and embrace the challenges quickly. Things and times are changing, work patterns are also changing, and the industry is evolving.
It is the manager’s job to implement a culture of adaptability in their team so that when changes are needed, the team can adjust quickly and seamlessly. Change is inevitable, and when it does come, the manager should be ready for it, and welcome it with open arms.
Take Risk
Becoming a good manager is being ready to take risks and accepting responsibilities.
As a manager, you are a risk-taker.
As a team leader, your job is to be ready to make difficult choices that may or may not work out on a project. Your ability to be a critical thinker prepares you for risk-taking.
You should have it at the back of your mind that things may not always go as planned. Whenever this happens, you must be able to offer other options, because there’s still a chance that plans may not work. Therefore, you should consider that. As a manager, team members look up to you and expect you to make the best decisions.
Becoming a manager is accepting that you are not just a leader, but also a risk-taker. You take the fall for the team and celebrate the team’s successes together.
Becoming a manager goes way beyond theoretical explanations. You have to strive to become a better version of yourself. Effective leadership is determined by the results you provide rather than the attributes you portray.
