Do You Remember Your First Manager?

Your first manager is someone you always remember.

I remember mine for good reasons. Here, I share my experience about how I was initially skeptical and later grateful.

Rockstar managers can have such an impact on you. There is a condition. You need to learn to recognize and see them. Else, you may be missing the bigger picture.

“There are three essentials to leadership: humility, clarity and courage.” — Chan Master Fuchan Yuan

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I was lucky to have Rahul as my first manager when I started my career in Supply Chain. My first impression of him was he was very well-connected to ground reality.

It was fascinating to see him connect with a huge team of over 100 and have a personal relationship with most. He even attended everyone’s personal life events. With a mix of his natural charisma as a leader and his vulnerability, he was a favorite of many.

In all honesty, still it took me time to get to know him. I remained a bit on the edge.

The reason was we had different styles and goals. Rahul was completely determined to achieve the organization’s goals, and I was figuring out my way as a newcomer.

I understood Rahul much better when he trusted me when I spoke about an unprecedented challenge I had. Without his support, I wouldn’t have had the equity as a newbie to continue.

I wrote about this challenge in another article here :

Finding Courage to Be Yourself in a Big, Big World
Reading 100 books on ‘Developing Authenticity’ won’t help much
medium.com

“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionable integrity.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

I felt entangled in my personal and professional life. It was hard for me to keep up with others’ expectations because I was barely meeting my own.

Over the years, I saw Rahul strengthen as a global leader who has worked across countries.

Luckily, I had an opportunity to work with him again.

Our relationship developed. He was a key client when I moved into Procurement. After every interaction, I walked away, wowed by his coaching and listening skills.

I was happy I changed my initial perception about him, else I wouldn’t learn from him.

Some of the coaching he offered still rings true in my ears. Like reminding me of my unique strength with genuineness when I needed to hear it.

Another one I remember even now while giving feedback to others is this one. ‘Everyone tends to see a situation with their set of eyes and usually keeps doing that’.

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I have immense gratitude to have such a manager early in my career. This showed me what exceptional leadership is all about:

Empathy, strength, and service-orientation

“Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.” — John Peter Zenger

What did you learn from your first manager? Did they help you be a better version of yourself?

If you are looking for tips on navigating international career transitions, my e-book could help you. Download it for free here :

Do you know the secret to a successful international career transition with Richa Singh
I help you navigate intl. career transitions | Multiple leadership & expat roles with Top MNCs in North America, Europe…
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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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