Brazilians rank near the top of the list of the most entrepreneurial peoples in the world. According to research, we have a good mind for coming up with new ideas, and we find solutions to complex problems with ease. But when it comes to management, especially at the start, we set a poor example. The management may be new, but the story is still the same old one. The ego of many new company managers here speaks louder than the real needs of the organization they are starting to manage. The main mistakes when new management takes over are: ●
The new manager thinks they already know everything,
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The new manager wants to show everyone they are in charge, and
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The new manager wants to change everything.
In many companies and situations, the new manager doesn’t like, or doesn’t even bother, to listen to what worked under the previous management. In this ego-driven mistake, new managers end up cutting things that were already established and were positive for the organization. Sometimes the cuts are of efficient people, useful processes, or project management systems that were essential. And why? Most of the time it is a mix of ego and feeling attacked. It is usually these egotistical managers who end up making companies stall or lose revenue. Managers like this tend to lack emotional intelligence and end up destroying companies out of vanity, inexperience, and the need to show that they know what is best for the organization, even when they don’t. Managers like this wreck teams and destroy solid, long-standing partnerships. Are you taking over as a manager? A new project? A new team of people? Listen to the previous leader, learn from past mistakes, and continue what was already being done efficiently. Don’t waste time making all the old mistakes again just because of your ego. This may be the best way to earn everyone’s trust and understand how to handle this new phase. Even with good management, crises will come, and they need to be handled calmly, carefully, and attentively. Rigid thinking only makes crises even more damaging for your company and your team. And this isn’t only about economic crises: anything that shatters our previous certainties and leaves us unsteady is a crisis.
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