4. Be a Leader, Not Only a Manager. You have built the best team from the best employee available. You motivated them to peak performance. What is missing? Motivating a team is worthless unless you provide direction; unless you turn that motivation toward a goal and lead the team to it. It is the ability to lead others that truly sets a manager apart from their peers. Remember that leaders are found at all levels of the organization, so be one. Here are a couple of examples, one good and one bad:  The Best Leader I Ever Knew  The Toxic Boss Syndrome 5. Improve as a Communicator Communication may be the single most important skill of a manager. After all, all the others depend on it. You can't be a leader if you can't communicate your vision. You can't motivate people if they can't understand what you want. Communication skills can be improved through practice. Here are two exercises you can use to improve your ability to communicate effectively.  Getting Your Point Across  Writing for Business 6. Get Better At Managing Money To stay in business, a company has to make money. That means bringing money in the door and it means spending less than you bring in. Depending on your function in the organization, you may have more influence on one area or the other, but you need to understand both. You can help your company, your employees, and yourself be getting better at managing the company's money. Don't be put off by the numbers, or by the fact that "it's math". Start learning more about money management by reading these articles:  How To Read An Income Statement  But Am I Making Any Money?

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