82% of companies fail to choose the right managers, leading to disengagement, poor performance, and turnover that could cost your organization thousands, if not millions. New managers, however, are unpolished gems where change begins. Knowing how to train a new manager is the key to addressing poor leadership at its roots and unlocking your team’s full potential.

Every untrained manager risks damaging your workforce, costing your company millions. Let’s address this before it’s too late.

This article delves into the hidden struggles of new managers, the pressures they face from day one, the organizational impact of inadequate training, and actionable solutions to prepare them for success.

The Importance of Training New Managers for Leadership

“People don’t quit jobs; they quit managers” is a phrase you’ve likely heard before. Bad management isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it’s the number one reason employees leave their jobs. Research from Gallup shows that replacing an employee can cost 1.5–2 times their annual salary, significantly impacting a company’s bottom line.

Moreover, according to the Journal of Business and Psychology, incompetent or ineffective leadership can lead to decreased job satisfaction, lower overall team performance, and increased turnover intentions.

This can all be avoided if companies prioritize how to train new managers for leadership early on. Leadership training doesn’t just benefit individual managers—it addresses the broader issues that arise from poor leadership, described below.

Bad Leadership Traits 

There are many traits that can define a manager as “a bad boss” in the eyes of their employees, often driving them to leave the company. These issues contribute to high turnover rates and employee burnout, costing U.S. businesses an estimated $1 trillion annually in lost productivity, recruitment, and reputation damage.

Bad leadership traits typically fall into three categories:

• Lack of Soft Skills: Managers with unclear communication or limited feedback capabilities leave employees undervalued and confused.
• Ineffective Management Styles: Micromanagement stifles creativity, while disengaged leadership results in lackluster team support.
• Toxic Behaviors: Favoritism, unresolved conflicts, and negative work environments push employees to seek healthier workplaces.

The “Accidental Managers” Phenomenon

Many organizations promote employees based on technical expertise rather than leadership potential. These “accidental managers” often lack the skills to lead people effectively, defaulting to managing tasks rather than people. According to the UK Chartered Management Institute, 46% of managers believe their peers are promoted for the wrong reasons, such as internal relationships or profile over performance.

But while these managers may lack the skills needed for their new roles, they shouldn’t be discredited. With proper training and development, they can grow into capable, inspiring leaders.

The Domino Effect of Ill-Prepared Managers

If left unchecked, bad leadership can snowball over time. Managers become increasingly confident in their toxic leadership style, employees quit, and the company struggles to maintain consistency.

The cycle repeats when the manager is replaced, but without intervention, the same issues arise with the next hire. Moreover, poor leadership cascades across entire teams, leading to disengagement, low morale, and underperformance.

The Pressing Expectations New Managers Face

Before developing an effective training program for new managers, organizations must first understand the psychology behind stepping into a leadership role. The expectations placed on a new manager shape their leadership style, making it crucial to recognize the impact these expectations can have on their performance.

First Impressions Matter

New managers face the critical challenge of making a strong first impression, which shapes their credibility, authority, and ability to inspire trust. According to the London School of Economics, early missteps can damage trust and make recovery difficult, leading to lost confidence from both team members and upper management. Team leaders represent not only themselves but also their team, along with its values and skills, within the organization.

Learning to Manage Themselves and the Team

New managers must manage themselves and their teams with little time or experience, quickly evaluating team strengths, weaknesses, and performance. This pressure to build trust, set expectations, and make decisions often leaves them overwhelmed, uncertain, and stressed.

The Soft vs. Hard Skills Gap

It’s often said that no manager has both good soft and hard skills. In reality, many lack both, creating a leadership vacuum that hurts team cohesion. While hard skills are important for task execution, the lack of soft skills can hinder effective leadership. For new managers, this gap can lead to poor self-confidence; not mastering one skill can tarnish their image as a respectable, capable leader.

Stress and Team Morale

Managing stress is another significant challenge. A new manager under pressure often unintentionally spreads anxiety to their team, leading to lower morale and diminished productivity. New managers also struggle to motivate disengaged employees while navigating their own uncertainties. Leadership changes can lead to higher turnover, as employees may leave if the new manager doesn’t meet expectations, adding to the pressure.

Actionable Steps to Ensure Good Leadership from the Start 

To set new managers up for success, it’s essential to provide them with a clear roadmap from day one. When crafting a training program for new managers, it’s important to consider key metrics that provide a strong foundation for their learning and development goals.

Conduct Leadership Gap Assessments

Evaluate new managers’ strengths and weaknesses through:

• Self-assessments.
• Team feedback.
• One-on-one interviews. Focus assessments on communication, decision-making, and emotional intelligence.

Establish Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) From Day One

Define clear expectations to guide managers and measure their performance. Example KPIs include:

• Team productivity and efficiency.
• Employee engagement and satisfaction.
• Retention rates and turnover costs.
• Conflict resolution success.
• Goal achievement rate.
• Budget and resource management.
• Feedback and coaching success. 

Key Skills to Develop

Effective leadership training should focus on developing the following skills:

• Prioritization and Delegation: Teach managers to distribute workloads effectively, avoiding burnout for both themselves and their team.
• Communication: Emphasize the importance of clear instructions, active listening, and conflict resolution.
• Empathy: Help managers understand and address their team members’ perspectives to build trust and loyalty.
• Time Management: Equip managers with strategies to balance personal responsibilities with team deadlines.
• Reading People: Train managers to assess team dynamics and individual performance accurately.
• Conflict Resolution: Provide tools to handle disputes effectively, ensuring team harmony.
• Feedback Delivery: Show managers how to provide actionable, constructive feedback that inspires improvement.
• Job-Related Knowledge: Ensure managers are equipped with industry-specific expertise and compliance knowledge.

Implement Mentorship Programs for New Leaders

Mentorship programs provide invaluable real-world guidance to new managers, helping them navigate the complexities of their roles. Pairing new leaders with experienced mentors accelerates learning, reduces errors, and fosters confidence.

Beyond immediate support, mentorship programs ensure continuous growth and retention. New managers gain insights from seasoned leaders, while organizations benefit from stronger leadership pipelines and reduced turnover.

Effective Training Modules for New Managers

Training a new manager for leadership requires a tailored approach that addresses their unique skill gaps and real-world challenges. By focusing on how to train a new manager for leadership, organizations can ensure that managers are equipped with the right tools to lead effectively.

Targeted Training Programs 

Targeted training is crucial for addressing specific leadership gaps. It offers personalized learning tailored to each manager’s challenges, covering:

• Soft skills: Communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution
• Technical skills: Customized based on the manager’s needs

Digital platforms make this process more efficient, offering on-demand, adaptable content to address the needs identified during the assessment phase.

Real-Life Scenarios

Real-life scenario training helps new managers apply their skills in context. This hands-on approach builds confidence, refines decision-making, and prepares managers for leadership complexities in ways that traditional training cannot. Through simulation-based learning, new managers can:

• Experience job-related challenges in a safe environment
• Practice handling situations like team conflict or giving difficult feedback

Constant Feedback 

Effective feedback loops help managers track progress and adjust their approach, enabling ongoing reflection and improvement in performance. Key components include:

• Regular check-ins with peers and mentors to reinforce concepts and gain insights
• Continuous feedback through quizzes, assessments, and peer reviews on digital platforms

Examples of Trainings for Successful First-Time Managers 

Workshops on Leadership Fundamentals, Soft Skills, and Conflict Resolution

• Leadership Fundamentals: Cover topics such as strategic thinking, time management, and effective communication.
• Soft Skills: Emphasize emotional intelligence, active listening, and empathy to help managers connect with their teams.
• Conflict Resolution: Equip new managers with the tools to manage disputes effectively, ensuring a positive work environment and minimizing tensions.
• Best for: Healthcare, customer service, retail, hospitality.

Performance Evaluations Training

• Fair and Objective Assessments: Teach managers how to assess team performance without bias and ensure fairness in evaluations.
• Constructive Feedback: Train managers on how to provide feedback that is clear, actionable, and focused on growth.
• Setting Expectations: Guide managers in setting clear expectations for performance, fostering a transparent and motivating environment.
• Building Trust: Help managers establish trust with their teams by delivering evaluations in a way that encourages development.

Team Motivation and Internal Conflict Management

• Motivating Teams: Introduce programs that teach managers how to inspire and engage their teams through recognition, goal setting, and creating a positive work culture.
• Internal Conflict Management: Provide managers with strategies to address conflicts before they escalate, promoting harmony and productivity within the team.

Compliance and Internal Policies Training

• Compliance Training: Ensure managers are up-to-date with industry regulations, company policies, and legal requirements. This training is essential for managers in industries like healthcare, construction, retail, finance, and pharmaceuticals, where adherence to specific regulations is critical.
• Internal Policies: Provide guidance on how to uphold and enforce company policies, ensuring managers act as role models for their teams in adherence to these standards.

Leveraging Code of Talent to Solve Leadership Challenges

Code of Talent’s platform provides scalable, bite-sized learning solutions to address leadership training gaps. With a microlearning approach, new managers can quickly develop essential skills like communication, delegation, and conflict resolution.

The platform offers real-time feedback and AI-powered customizable learning paths, allowing organizations to track progress and tailor training to individual needs. Its focus on practical application helps new managers implement what they’ve learned immediately, reducing the risk of leadership missteps.

Conclusion

Don’t let poor leadership drain your organization’s potential. Training new managers effectively is a crucial step toward improving team morale, reducing turnover, and increasing performance.

By focusing on how to train a new manager for leadership, you can address the root causes of leadership struggles and create a positive, productive work environment. Platforms like Code of Talent offer flexible, bite-sized learning solutions to support your new leaders’ growth. Prioritize leadership development today to build a stronger future for your teams.

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