Ten Commandments for Managers: A Closer Look

I have received a number of emails from people who appreciated “The Ten Commandments for Managers” that I published here some weeks ago. Some of them have asked me to elaborate on these commandments, so here comes commandment number one!

1. Be humble: No one is as good as they think they are! (Or as bad either for that matter)

One of the cardinal sins of managers is over confidence. It may very well be the case that you have made it where you are today because of your talent, but you do not know everything. No matter how talented you are, you are going to make mistakes. No matter how wise you are your judgment will fail you. Don’t worry about it, accept it!

Another cardinal sin of managers is lack of confidence. Even if some try to hide their lack of confidence with bold displays of overpowering arrogance, from time to time, every manager feels the burden of inadequacy. In those quiet moments of self-reflection every good manager in every organization realizes that they have failed to meet their own expectations regardless of how much praise they receive from the world around them. The best leaders acknowledge their fears and failures, learn from them and move on.