A Guide for New Female Managers to Take the Leadership Leap With a Side of Professional Wit
She is a Career and Personal Development Coach with almost ten years of experience. Her expertise is in Job & workplace readiness, career planning, growth, and personal development. Her work focuses on helping individuals build their capacity for career progression, navigate job transitioning with ease and achieve personal effectiveness using results-oriented methods.
If you’ve recently stepped into a management role (or you’re eyeing one with a mix of ambition and mild panic), first of all, congratulations! You’ve made it. You’ve cracked the glass ceiling (or at least given it a solid knock), and now you have the responsibility of leading a team.
But before you pop the champagne and declare yourself the next Sheryl Sandberg, let’s talk about what’s coming. Management isn’t just about power suits and strategic meetings; it’s also about navigating tricky conversations, managing people’s ‘quirks’, and figuring out how to delegate without doing everything yourself.
As it’s Women’s Month, consider this your Leadership Survival Kit, designed for strong, ambitious, and slightly overwhelmed female managers like yourself. Let’s dive into some of the most common challenges you’ll face and, of course, how to handle them like the boss you are.
The “I’ll just do it myself” trap
The challenge
You’ve been promoted because you were exceptional at your job. But now, instead of doing the work, you’re meant to delegate it. That’s right; you can’t do everything yourself (no matter how superhuman you are).
The fix
Remind yourself that your job is to lead, not just to execute. Delegation isn’t about dumping tasks on people; it’s about empowering your team. Plus, let’s be honest: if you try to do it all, you’ll be in burnout territory faster than you can say “work-life balance.”
Pro tip: When handing off work, explain why you’re assigning it to someone and how it connects to the bigger picture. This builds ownership and accountability.
Managing former colleagues (without making it awkward)
The challenge
One day, you’re gossiping by the coffee machine with your workmates; the next, you’re leading their performance reviews. Suddenly, the dynamic has shifted, and you’re left wondering: Can I still join in on Friday pub nights?
The fix
Yes, your relationships will change, but that doesn’t mean you have to become a robotic ‘boss lady’ overnight. Set clear boundaries, communicate your expectations, and be fair. You don’t have to stop being friendly, but you do need to establish authority.
Pro tip: If there’s tension, address it early. A simple “I know this is a shift for both of us, but I want us to work well together” can go a long way.
Leadership vs. Likeability: Can you have both?
The challenge
As women, we’re often conditioned to be ‘likeable’. But leadership sometimes means making tough decisions that won’t win you popularity points.
The fix
Instead of aiming to be liked, aim to be respected. Respect comes from fairness, consistency, and strong decision-making, not from saying yes to everything or avoiding difficult conversations.
Pro tip: Being firm doesn’t mean being harsh. It’s possible to be kind and assertive. Just channel your inner Michelle Obama: graceful, yet powerful.
My first leadership role (that I ran away from)
I was 21 years old, working at McDonald's, when I was offered my first-ever leadership role as a Team Leader. Instead of celebrating, I panicked. Why?
I was sure I was too young to lead.
I didn’t speak Flemish well enough; how was I supposed to delegate in a language I wasn’t confident in?
I didn’t see what senior management saw in me.
So, what did I do? I resigned! I was so convinced that I wasn’t ready, I didn’t even give myself the chance to try. Looking back, I laugh at that version of myself because I see now that leadership is less about being ready and more about growing into it. Senior management saw the strength in me before I saw it in myself and that’s something I wish I had realised earlier.
Fast forward 6 years later, I had another chance, this time to lead my own Compliance team. This time, I didn’t run.
I was still nervous; who would listen to me? But I realised something powerful:
I already had the knowledge, the work ethic, and the skills. The title was just making it official.
I loved teaching. I had built a solid reputation, and my team was already comfortable coming to me with their questions. Instead of feeling like an imposter, I simply showed them what I already did well: breaking things down, refining processes, and making the complex simple.
Lesson learned? Sometimes, the only thing standing between you and success is your own doubt.
Time management: The Eisenhower matrix that changed everything
Now, let’s talk about something that I wish I had known earlier.
A brilliant team member recently introduced me to the Eisenhower Matrix, and I instantly fell in love with it. It changed how I manage my time and energy. Here’s how it works:
Important & urgent: Do it now. (Crisis situations, last-minute deadlines)
Important but not urgent: Schedule it. (Strategic planning, skill development)
Urgent but not important: Delegate it. (Routine tasks, emails)
Neither urgent nor important: Why is this even on your list? (Endless meetings, distractions)
Once I started using this, I stopped drowning in work. It helped me focus on what truly mattered, rather than just reacting to what felt urgent.
Pro tip: If you’re always in the ‘Urgent & Important’ box, you’re firefighting instead of leading. Aim to spend more time in the ‘Important but Not Urgent’ quadrant; this is where the real growth happens.
Final thoughts: You’ve got this
Stepping into management can feel like being thrown into the deep end, but guess what? You can swim.
The challenges are real, but so is your ability to navigate them with grace, strategy, and a little bit of humour. You deserve to be in leadership, and the world needs more women in power.
So, go forth and own your role! Lead with confidence, embrace the learning curve, and don’t forget to lift others up along the way.
Oh, and one last thing, you absolutely should still go to Friday pub nights (just maybe don’t pick up the office gossip anymore).
Happy Women’s Month, and here’s to you, the fearless, fabulous, and future-changing female leader! You’ve got this!
Read more from Esther Aluko
Esther Aluko, Career & Personal Development Coach
She is a Career and Personal Development Coach with almost ten years of experience. Her expertise is in Job & workplace readiness, career planning, growth, and personal development. Her work focuses on helping individuals build their capacity for career progression, navigate job transitioning with ease and achieve personal effectiveness using results-oriented methods. Her speaking engagements span the United Kingdom, Belgium, West Africa, and Ireland with corporate organizations and higher education institutions.
