MentorLog #46 - Reflections of a good manager

If you’re a manager, your job isn’t just to deliver results.

It’s to help the people on your team grow.

Too often, we treat “career development” as something owned by HR, or reserved for once-a-year review conversations.

But in reality, it’s one of the most important things you do as a leader.

And it starts with one simple question:

What would you want your own manager to do for you?

Hold Up the Mirror

When a team member asks for career advice, don’t just tell them what they want to hear.

Ask yourself:

• What would I do if this were my career to own?

• How would I advocate for myself?

• How would I build trust with my manager, my manager’s peers, and even my skip-level manager?

• Would I be vocal about my ambitions?

Use your answers to guide them. Encourage them to reflect on the same questions, and steer them to see the course of action that matches their persona.

Your role is to help them see their own responsibility clearly.

Teach them how to co-opt you into their career plans. Encourage them to have open, direct conversations with you about what they want and where they want to go.

Because you can’t help them get there if you don’t know where “there” is.

Train for Self-Sufficiency

One of the best things you can do for your team (and for yourself) is to train them to execute on your one-line commands.

• Big task? Small task? They know how to figure it out.

• They can navigate the gray areas.

• They know when to ask for help, and when to run with it.

This makes them better employees.

More importantly, it empowers them. It teaches them judgment, problem-solving, and confidence.

And for you? It’s how you scale as a leader. It frees up your mental bandwidth to think bigger, expand your own scope, and trust that your team can deliver.

Shine the Light on Them

At every chance, give them visibility.

• Include them in meetings they might otherwise miss.

• Let them present their own work.

• Acknowledge their contributions publicly.

As a manager, your success is in making them seen.

Because the better known and trusted they are, the more opportunities will come their way.

Advocate Relentlessly for Your Superstars

When you have someone exceptional on your team, don’t just appreciate them quietly.

Go to bat for them.

• Fight for them in promotion cycles, even if it means pushing against HR processes.

• Make sure they know you’re advocating for them.

It’s not about playing favorites. It’s about rewarding excellence, and making sure the organization doesn’t lose them.

Your team should know you have their back.

Communicate All Around

Career development isn’t one conversation.

It’s constant.

• One-on-ones.

• Feedback sessions.

• Casual check-ins.

Keep the door open. Let them know you’re invested.

Because at the end of the day, this is also about being the kind of manager they’ll want to stay with. The kind of manager they’ll trust as a mentor.

And yes, it’s also how you grow.

A team that can think, act, and lead independently is the surest sign of a leader who’s ready for more.

The Bottom Line:

If you want to grow your own career as a manager, start by asking:

Am I helping my team grow theirs?

#Leadership #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #TeamManagement #MentorLog