Slay the dragon of bad management advice with this insight from Hogan Assessments’ Dr Ryne Sherman.
Let’s set the scene. You’ve just landed your first management role – fair play. Your calendar is suddenly full of managerial meetings, your inbox won’t stop, and you now have ‘direct reports’ who look to you for answers about questions you have no idea how to answer just yet. You’re technically in charge, but what does that even mean?
If you’re like most new managers, you’re probably winging it with a myriad of podcasts, LinkedIn posts and well-meaning advice. Trouble is, some of that advice is – how do we put it? – utter nonsense.
I’ve seen what happens when the most hyped leadership mantras go unchallenged. And the results aren’t great for team morale, performance or your own sanity.
Here are three of the most misleading myths new managers often fall for and what the personality science really says.
‘Be vulnerable’
We get it. Vulnerability is the leadership buzzword of the decade. Show your feelings. Be human. Open up to your team.
All fine in theory, until your Monday morning check-in turns into a group therapy session. There’s a point where emotional openness becomes emotional overspill.
As a result, stress and emotional burdens in the workplace may ripple and multiply through team interactions, jeopardising the overall company performance. Empathy is indubitably key to optimal leadership and collaboration, yet always publicly sharing your internal struggles may unintentionally burden your team.
Good leadership requires some strong boundaries and knowing when to display emotions, if ever. Your team should not be expected to play counsellor while deadlines pile up.
‘Be yourself’
The call to ‘lead authentically’ sounds empowering. But what if your authentic self is awkward in meetings, doesn’t know how to give constructive feedback or panics under pressure?
Authenticity can quickly become self-indulgence as far as management is concerned. That’s why every new manager needs to be self-aware. When you’re in a leadership role, you need to shift your focus from how you feel to how can you lead.
The latest Gallup Global Workplace report reveals that just 21pc of employees genuinely feel engaged at work. A startling stat hinting at a disconnect between leadership style and real-life team needs.
Great managers don’t just ‘be themselves’ – they manage themselves. They resist to the temptation of being the same person they are at home. They adapt to the workplace. They read the room. They lead with proper intention, not letting impulse in the way.
‘Charisma is king’
Big gestures, big ideas, promising words. Charisma is magnetic, it draws people in. Unfortunately, it can also pull focus away from genuine competence and workplace capabilities.
Insights from Cambridge Judge Business School highlight how charisma may fail when misapplied – particularly in contexts requiring coordination rather than heroics – suggesting that a mismatch between leadership style and follower needs can undermine effectiveness. That’s a polite way of saying that charisma doesn’t always equal being capable.
In fast-paced environments, charisma can be a shortcut to influence, but it’s a poor substitute for accountability, structure and strategic thinking. Think fireworks: impressive at first, but they burn out fast. –
What should new managers do instead?
All things considered, none of these leadership qualities – vulnerability, authenticity or charisma – are inherently bad. But they’re not strategy. They’re tools. And tools need context.
The best new managers aren’t trying to be the most ‘real’, the most liked or the most expressive. They’re learning to: regulate their emotions while staying connected; show up consistently, not just authentically; and back up charisma with substance, not ego.
Before diving headfirst into another self-help thread on leading from the heart, new managers need to pause for a moment, and remember leadership isn’t about playing a perfect part, it’s about knowing which parts not to play.
Dr Ryne Sherman
Dr Ryne Sherman is chief science officer at Hogan Assessments, leading research, product development and data analytics. He specialises in personality psychology, innovative assessment methods and machine-learning approaches to big data. Previously a professor at Texas Tech and Florida Atlantic University, he earned multiple awards and federal research support. He holds a PhD in personality/social psychology from the University of California, Riverside, and has authored more than 50 widely recognised scientific papers.
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