How to Be Confident as a First-Time Manager

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**Amy Bernstein** (1:00)
I've recently had a big promotion and have transitioned from an individual contributor to a people manager overnight. I'm now managing 43 people. Good Lord, that's a lot of people.

**Amy Gallo** (1:11)
That's a lot of people.

**Amy Bernstein** (1:12)
I've had no training, preparation or guidance from my company. The team is great with a wonderful culture and vibe, but they're not the most productive. How do I navigate this new role, be productive, solve problems, and move projects forward without being perceived as an a-hole?
It is no secret to her team that she has been recast in a role that is very new to her. So I would say she should be transparent about this, that I'm learning and I'm going to need help from all of you. You don't have to bend to everyone's feedback, but you have to sift through all the feedback. And pick out the stuff that's going to help you do your job better, right?

**Amy Gallo** (1:56)
Yep, one of the misconceptions about management is that you can either be compassionate or you can hold people accountable. And you can do both at the same time.

**Amy Bernstein** (2:05)
Right, you can. And just think about how you feel, dear listener, when your manager is indecisive.
Being decisive is not the same as being a jerk, right? People want direction and you are there to provide direction. In it, you would not be doing your job if you weren't providing direction. But when you're providing direction, it's important to explain the why behind the what, so that people understand how you made decisions and so that they can make decisions themselves in alignment with the goal.