When I became a manager, I thought that I needed to have all the answers and be able to solve all issues — a sort of hero, if you will. That’s when impostor syndrome can set in. It took a while to understand that there are a lot of grey areas and it’s okay not to have all those answers by myself. Fortunately, there are a lot of great resources at my disposal such as my peers, my manager, and management training, that I rely on more heavily now than I did at the beginning of my time as a manager.

When I think back at my own career -- the most valuable lessons were learned in action. By working through real problems or opportunities you get out of generalizations and into something more lasting. That said, formal training gives you the framework to better navigate those situations. So the ideal learning environment is one that is rich in training, but also intentionally creates experiences designed to stretch employees.

“Impromptu feedback is the most important thing that managers do for the people who work for them ... but it’s really, really hard to do it. That’s why I call it ‘radical candor’, because it’s so rare that it happens.”