Advice to New Leaders

We asked Baylor managers about the real-world advice they have for those new(er) to leadership and wanted to start sharing their responses starting with this issue. See below for advice from Trey Hagins, Managing Director of Development.

I have officially been a manager at Baylor for 2 years but have managed people in various roles at Dell Technologies and Baylor in my 22+ years as a Sales/Development professional.

• What advice would you give your younger self about leadership?
  • Take your job seriously, but not yourself.
  • Clearly define roles/responsibilities/goals and provide genuine feedback.
  • First Serve/Train/Encourage/Praise… then provide Suggestions and Coaching.
• What's the best advice you've ever received on being a good leader?
  • Levity is a manager’s asset to long-term success.
  • People will not remember what you told them, but how you made them feel.
  • See links below for additional articles. The recent Team Communication Commitments that were rolled out in Advancement are especially important to maintaining and enhancing working relationships.
    • 20 Tips to Improve Employee Engagement and Performance
    • Create Growth Culture, Not Performance Obsessed
    • Shifting from Star Performer to Star Manager
    • How Bosses Waste Their Employees
    • Team Communication Commitments
• What do you wish you knew that would have helped you succeed in your first leadership role?
  • You can never be too knowledgeable about the products/services you represent. (Continue learning!)
  • Implement the “Platinum Rule” instead of the Golden Rule. (Treat people the way they want to be treated, not necessarily the way you would want to be treated)
  • Understand individual contributor’s motivations. 
  • Manage the way in which you could be managed. (Don’t ask someone to do something you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself)