Becoming a new manager is a bit like being handed the keys to a spaceship when you’ve barely mastered parallel parking. You’ve suddenly got a team looking at you for guidance, wisdom and the occasional office doughnut, and now someone’s thrown the term growth mindset at you. What even is that? Is it contagious? Do you need a degree to use it? (Spoiler alert: No, but it helps if you like learning).
So, to make sure you don’t pull a muscle diving headfirst into this growth mindset thing, here are five key things you’ll want to develop as you embrace your new managerial powers. Think of it as your toolkit for becoming the wise and growth-focused manager you’ve always dreamed of being. Or at least, the one who can survive Monday morning meetings.
1. The Art of Loving Mistakes (Yours and Theirs)
Let’s kick things off with something that sounds way more relaxing than it actually is: learning to love mistakes. When you’re a new manager, your first instinct might be to avoid failure like it’s the office fridge on fish pie day. But with a growth mindset, mistakes are like those vegetables your mum always told you to eat—they help you grow.
Yes, it’s a tough pill to swallow when you’ve just led your team into a project that falls flat on its face, but instead of giving up, learn to embrace those “whoops” moments. Growth-minded managers ask, “What can we learn from this complete disaster?” rather than “Who do I blame for this disaster?”
Growth Mindset Tip:
The next time someone on your team messes up, take a deep breath and ask, “What’s the silver lining here?” You might be surprised to find one (if not, there's always doughnuts).
2. Patience (Because Growth Takes More Time Than a Microwave Meal)
If you’re anything like the rest of us, you probably wish growth could happen as quickly as your favourite 90-second ready meal. Sorry to break it to you, but developing a growth mindset (for yourself and your team) is more like cooking a five-course meal when you’ve only got one frying pan.
Things take time. Your team won’t suddenly morph into a squad of growth-minded geniuses overnight. Neither will you. But the key here is to be patient with the process—and with yourself. Embrace the slow burn of progress. Setbacks are normal (just like forgetting the garlic bread in the oven), but with a growth mindset, they’re part of the journey, not the end of the road.
Growth Mindset Tip:
Repeat after me: “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will my team's success. But maybe we can build a decent Proposal in a week.” Progress is progress!
3. Asking for Help (AKA, Not Acting Like You Know Everything)
Here’s a big one: you don’t need to have all the answers. In fact, pretending you do is like playing Jenga with the company’s future—one wrong move, and everything comes crashing down. Growth-minded managers aren’t afraid to ask for help, whether it’s from their team, a mentor or that one person in IT who somehow knows how to fix everything.
Why? Because asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It shows that you’re open to learning, just like you want your team to be. Plus, let’s be honest, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches if you admit you don’t understand the company’s new billing system instead of nodding like you do.
Growth Mindset Tip:
Next time you’re stumped, instead of panicking, say, “I’m not sure about this—can someone give me a hand?” Watch as everyone instantly respects your honesty (and gives you the Wi-Fi password you’ve been pretending you didn’t forget).
4. The Courage to Embrace Feedback (Yes, Even the Tough Stuff)
Getting feedback as a manager can feel a bit like sitting through a bad movie—painful and awkward, but you need to know what’s wrong so it doesn’t happen again. With a growth mindset, feedback isn’t something to fear; it’s something to cherish (or at least tolerate with a brave face).
Whether it’s feedback from your team, your boss, or that one employee who’s always got “thoughts,” learning to take it in stride is crucial. In the growth mindset world, feedback is a chance to level up. Even when it stings a bit, remember that the goal is improvement, not perfection.
Growth Mindset Tip:
When you get feedback, don’t instantly jump to “Well, they just don’t get me.” Instead, channel your inner Yoda and say, “A learning opportunity this is.” (If nothing else, it’ll make you feel wise and mysterious).
5. Leading by Example (Because They’re Watching You, Pal)
Ah, the old “practice what you preach” bit. Look, if you want your team to adopt a growth mindset, you’ve got to show them how it’s done. That means being open to learning, taking risks and being okay with failure yourself. It’s all about setting the tone—if your team sees you embrace challenges with a smile (even if it’s a grimace disguised as a smile), they’ll follow suit.
Be the manager who’s not afraid to admit when something didn’t go as planned. Celebrate progress, even when it’s small. And remember: growth doesn’t mean perfection. It means getting a little bit better every day (or at least surviving until Friday).
Growth Mindset Tip:
Show your team that you are learning too. Say something like, “Hey, I’ve never done this before, but let’s figure it out together.” Then pretend you knew how to do it all along once you’ve nailed it.
Final Thoughts: Growing Pains Are Part of the Fun (I Promise)
The truth is, learning to embrace a growth mindset as a new manager might feel a bit like stumbling through a dark room with LEGO on the floor—painful and confusing. But once you start developing these five key traits, you’ll find yourself stepping more confidently into the role.
Mistakes? Love ’em. Feedback? Bring it on. And when all else fails, just remember: growth takes time, and nobody’s expecting you to have it all figured out by the next quarterly meeting (well, almost nobody).
So, roll up your sleeves, grab a notepad and get ready to grow—one tiny, awkward, mistake-filled step at a time.
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