Posted by Updated November 2025
Once promoted, many managers discover that the technical expertise and individual performance that earned them advancement are not enough to make them effective leaders. Mastery of hard skills drives results, but leadership requires something more—self-awareness, adaptability, and the ability to bring out the best in others.
The most successful leaders combine operational competence with emotional intelligence. They recognize that influence is earned through trust, not authority. That’s why executive leadership programs at Venture Up focus on developing the soft skills that sustain high-performing teams—empathy, communication, and a disciplined awareness of how one’s behavior shapes the culture around them. Hard skills may build a career, but soft skills build a legacy.
People Pay Attention to How You Lead
It’s not just what you say and do, but how you do it. Before a leader gains trust with the team, the evaluation process is underway. Team members may wonder how effective you were at your prior job. They may be watchful for mistakes, perhaps testing your confidence. Or they may question you to see how much you know about the team already. Leaders who exhibit confidence, good character, trustworthiness and influence from day one will likely be more successful than those who feel the need to prove their worth. Leaders likewise should be wary of the team player who cares more about impressing the boss than measuring up to his team.
Remember, You Set the Tone
The most successful team managers know that effective change comes with a buy-in from the top. Setting the right tone and getting management on board is crucial to getting work projects done effectively and on time. If team members are made aware that the top dogs are behind you, they not only have greater confidence in your power to lead, but see a smoother path for their future projects if you can cut through the barriers they may have faced earlier.
Supporting and Leading Your Team
Feedback is one thing, but acting upon it is what really matters. What does your team need to be successful? What tools can you provide? What kind of support will help the work flow, save time and increase productivity? When you show your workers you care, it speaks volumes. It is not enough to value their opinions and seek their expertise. Make sure to recognize team members who are making significant contributions to your team, at the team- and upper levels. If your team knows you discuss them as individuals with your own boss, you also become seen more as a team player vs. the manager ruling from his perch.
Collaboration
Remember group projects in high school? You know, the ones where one or two people do all the work and the team gets the credit? No wonder people cringe at the thought of collaboration. The slacking team members do the bare minimum, but only when the teacher is looking. It’s easy to judge them as poor team players, but a hardworking student could also learn some lessons from taking a leadership role.
How did you affect the team? Did you delegate small tasks to others and give the most important roles to yourself in order to make the grade? Or did you elicit feedback from each group member as to what each could contribute? Did you engage them in discussing strategies? Did you hold everyone in the group accountable? Were you approachable, even after class hours? Did you keep in touch and keep a steady work pace, or were you forced to rush the project right before deadline?
Venture Up’s custom leadership programs get managers to ask the right questions of themselves to help create a clear pathway to motivate team collaboration at company meetings as well as during casual workplace chat. Managers who are willing to listen to and act upon direct feedback will find the most success in uniting the team. Recognizing individual contributions opens the door to team collaboration.
Venture Up (est. 1983) is the original team building company, helping organizations build trust and collaboration through real-world experiences.
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