The Best Manager

Trust in the team

My journey to becoming a manager always stemmed from a desire to help others achieve their goals and make a broader impact on my organization. I’ve always challenged myself to be a better leader, manager, and human being, and this conviction has helped me oversee and lead both small and large teams.

Many years ago, after I became a senior engineer at Microsoft, I can vividly recall that I wanted to take on more responsibility. So, I approached my manager and asked for suggestions.

My manager told me, “One way to make a broader impact in the organization is by first becoming a manager. This path involves collaboration, teamwork, understanding diversity, and much more. Most importantly, the best indicator of a manager’s role is through the actions and leadership skills of that person.”

I have led different teams, from a small team of four to a group of more than a hundred people. I have picked up so many lessons along the way, but one that has been really beneficial to me is the importance of trust.

Your team must trust you, and you must trust your team as well. You must nurture “teamfidence” in the group.

“Teamfidence” is a term that is popular among my team. Having mutual trust and belief in your team can be referred to as “teamfidence.” When a group knows that there is mutual trust among all members, they put their heart and mind into their tasks, which translates to better performances.

It’s your responsibility to create an environment in which team members can express their opinions freely while knowing that they matter. I always make sure that these principles are followed in my team and that this guides my team towards attaining our goals more confidently.

Happiness and fulfillment

Some time ago, we had an impromptu meeting on a Friday about handling a big project. That required my team and me to modify an existing company’s product and make a presentation to the CEO for approval within a tight deadline.

There was no doubt that this was a daunting task and one that would test my team’s ability to deliver within a short period. As an individual contributor to the team, I saw this as an excellent opportunity to lead a significant project.

So, I reached out to my manager and requested that I be allowed to drive the project from the following Monday. My manager hesitated because the project involved many people but gave me permission to oversee the project.

When the project started, it became immediately apparent that I had to work with people from different departments and skillsets. This meant that I had to interact and collaborate with diverse opinions and ideas, which was unsettling because there were some problematic team members.

However, I had to look past all of that and focus on the goal. I informed the team that we all had shared ownership of the project—that it wasn’t about any one individual and that we all needed to put our egos aside and work together towards achieving the goal. It was a true learning opportunity for me, and I learned many lessons from that experience.

After the successful execution of the project, I understood five things:

1. Trust is a crucial building block for all relationships and is critical in a team. Lack of trust can break down a group because it threatens productivity, creates a toxic culture, and shuts down communication. It also demotivates team members, which ultimately impacts the project. Working individually on a project is the easiest thing to do, but working with others is challenging.

2. Working in a team is always better than working alone, because a team consists of people with diverse ideas.

3. There is a critical need for collaboration, teamwork, trust, and diversity in a team.

4. When you walk alone, you go fast. When you walk with others, you go far.

5. Feeling a deep sense of love and belonging are fundamental human needs. People are cognitively wired to love, be loved, and belong. When these needs are not met, we don’t function optimally. We break. We fall apart.