The Importance of New Manager Self-Awareness

New Manager Self-Awareness: The Skill to Master First
Our experience in people manager assessment centers shows that new leaders face a broad set of skills they must quickly develop to perform at their best:

• Motivating others
• Making decisions
• Taking initiative
• Championing change
• Managing performance
• Developing others
• Communicating expectations and priorities

And that’s just the beginning.

The Hidden Risk: Dilution of Skills
Even the most promising new manager skills can fall short if a leader lacks one critical foundation: self-awareness. Without a clear understanding of how they show up as a leader, new managers risk misreading situations, miscommunicating priorities, or undermining the very behaviors they’re trying to master.

What Sets Great New Managers Apart
Exceptional leaders aren’t only skilled at influencing their teams — they have a deep understanding of themselves. They know:

• Who they are
• How they are perceived by others
• Where they want to go and why

This clarity gives them the ability to regulate their behavior, make intentional choices, and adapt to the needs of their team. In essence, strong new managers possess high levels of self-awareness — the anchor that ensures every other skill they develop lands effectively.

The Research: Why Leader Self-Awareness Matters
Self-aware managers are more likely to build trust, communicate clearly, and create a high-performing environment. They recognize their strengths and blind spots, adjust their approach when necessary, and lead with authenticity. Without it, even natural talent can be wasted, and well-intentioned efforts can backfire.

Even though most new people managers believe that they are self-aware, most are surprised by 360 degree feedback their first year on the job.

• In analyzing nearly 110 million assessments, Korn Ferry found that 80% of professionals have at least one blind spot.
• Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations studied 72 senior executives at companies with revenues between $50 million to $5 billion and found that leaders with the high self-awareness delivered better results.

What Does this Mean for You as a New Manager?
It means that you need to develop your new manager soft skills as well as your so-called hard skills. It means that in addition to making sure you have the new manager skills training to succeed, you need to go through a process of self-examination.  And, if you are truly committed to effectively leading, managing, and coaching your team, this process should be ongoing.

Six New Manager Self-Awareness Questions to Get Started
If you do not have access to 360 degree feedback, you can start by asking yourself (and those around you) questions like the following:

1. Goals & Intentions
   What, specifically, are my goals and accountabilities in this new management role?
2. Perceptions
   What do I want my personal leadership brand to be?
3. Working and Not Working
   What is working for me in pursuit of those goals and perceptions — and what is not?
4. Behaviors
   What behaviors increase or decrease my effectiveness as a new manager?
5. Lessons Learned
   What can I learn from my past experiences that will serve me well in my new role?
6. Desired Changes
   What one or two things should I change to become a better leader?

The Bottom Line
Effective new managers start with self-knowledge. Without a solid foundation of self-awareness, even the most promising leadership skills can fall flat.  Understanding yourself is the first step to effectively leading others.

To learn more about becoming a successful a new leader, download 5 Management Misperceptions that Slip Up Too Many New Managers