📌 Your team misses a deadline and suddenly you feel like the sky is falling.
📌 A client sends negative feedback and you can’t stop thinking, “This is the end of everything.”
📌 An employee raises a concern and you brush it off with, “I don’t have time for this right now.”
Sound familiar?
These are the everyday moments where line managers either build trust—or break it. Too many slip into three unhelpful habits:
👉 Making everything about themselves (self-centred)
👉 Acting like they don’t care (unconcerned)
👉 Blowing problems out of proportion (catastrophizing)
The good news? You don’t have to lead that way. Here are five practical shifts that will help you show up as the leader your team actually wants to follow:
1. Stop Making It About You
When something goes wrong, resist the urge to think, “How does this make ME look?” Instead, think:
• How is my team experiencing this?
• What can I do to support them?
A good manager doesn’t use their team to protect their own reputation—they protect their team so everyone can succeed together.
2. Show You Actually Care
It’s not enough to say “My door is always open.” Being present means:
• Looking up from your laptop during conversations.
• Asking follow-up questions.
• Remembering what matters to your people.
Your team will always know whether you care or you’re just clocking in.
3. Get Perspective Before You Panic
Catastrophizing is contagious. If you blow up every small problem, your team will start working in fear.
Next time something goes wrong, pause and ask:
• What’s the actual impact here?
• What’s within our control right now?
• How can we break this into steps instead of spirals?
A calm manager creates a calm team.
4. Use Emotional Intelligence Like a Muscle
EQ isn’t just corporate jargon—it’s the difference between reacting and leading. Notice your own stress triggers. Learn to regulate your emotions before you unload them on your team. And practice empathy: “If I were in their shoes, how would I feel right now?”
5. Focus on Solutions, Not Drama
Blame keeps everyone stuck. Solutions move people forward. Change your language:
• From “Who’s fault is this?” → To “How can we fix this together?”
• From “This is a disaster!” → To “This is tough, but we’ll get through it.”
Final Thought
Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about being the calmest, the most consistent, and the one people know has their back.
So, don’t be the self-centred, unconcerned manager who catastrophizes. Be the steady leader who listens, supports, and keeps perspective—even when the pressure’s on.
Your team will thank you for it.
✨ Takeaway: A great manager doesn’t magnify problems—they multiply confidence.
💬 Over to you: What’s the best quality you’ve seen in a line manager that made you want to give your best at work?
The Message Bearer, Cornelius Bella
corneliusbella 