The hard truth about management: navigating stress and emotional challenges is part of the job

Here’s something I used to feel guilty about: there are days where I don’t feel like being a manager.

I’ve come to learn that feeling like this at times is both common, and entirely understandable.

Because here’s the hard truth: a lot of the time, being a good manager isn’t easy.

Management is certainly a privilege, and it has its rewards.

But it’s also hard. Stressful. Emotionally draining.

Some days it’s a grind. Some days I suck at it. Some days I wish I wasn’t a manager.

You have to lean into conflict. Challenge poor behaviour. Address performance issues. Make decisions when you don’t have all the answers.

Each of these things takes a toll.

The fundamentals of leadership are simple. But simple doesn’t mean easy.

Here’s what helped me:

1) Find your own authentic management style. Faking it gets old—fast. There are many ways to be an effective manager, but they won’t all suit you. To sustain this work, you need a style that’s both effective and aligned with your personality and working style.

2) Get your reps in. Leadership is like a muscle. If you only rely on it in high-stakes moments, you’ll find it weak when you need it most. Look for small, daily opportunities to practice leadership. Micro-actions build the strength you’ll need when it really counts.

If you want more help with this, we’re working on something that will make this even easier, and more impactful: the Daily Acts of Leadership card deck.

For more info, and to get notified when Daily Acts of Leadership is ready to ship, check out the link below.