When you start managing others, it can be an emotional rollercoaster ride. Most bosses have been through it on their way to where they are today.

There are countless changes that happen when you take on a management or leadership role. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new position with a new company or a well-deserved promotion with a company you’ve spent years with, it can be a wild ride.

How do I start my management career off the right way?

In probably half of the talks that I’ve given over the past two years, I have at least one person come up to me afterwards to let me know they’re a new—or relatively new—manager, supervisor or team leader. They also would love it if I could give them a “magic pill” they can take to turn them into the next management superstar.

Sadly, there is no magic pill. If there was, I’d be filthy rich selling it and I would single-handedly bankrupt the management book publishing industry. Becoming an excellent manager takes time, effort, and a willingness to be flexible.

There are six key lessons for managing others. Research shows that younger employees desire this kind of relationship with their managers and if they don’t get these things, they will be out the door to another job in less than a few months.

These rules apply to veteran managers entering a new department or new supervisors making the transition from co-worker to boss. These even work for team leaders who need to manage without authority over others.

To ensure you get off to a good start, follow these six tips:

1. Listen to your employees 

Like every other relationship, the key is to create strong lines of two-way communication between yourself and others. Within your first two days of starting your new position, have face-to-face and one-on-one meetings in private with every one of your staff or team members to discuss work and communication styles, expectations from both sides (yours and theirs) about their job/responsibilities, and goals—theirs, yours and the organization’s. If you’ve been a manager for a while and didn’t do this before, don’t panic. It’s never too late to start.

Listen and learn from your employees. Think about when you hand out a new project.  What is usually your employee’s first question? It’s usually, “Why? Why do you want me to do this?” If you lay out the why … answer any questions they have … and listen to any questions and concerns, you’ll always get his or her best effort—almost without exception.  

2. Use multiple techniques to teach, give instructions and manage 

A good manager recognizes that workers learn and process information differently and works to provide an environment that allows each employee to succeed. This means recognizing each type of learner and knowing how to encourage success. There are four distinct learning techniques that almost everyone falls into:

1. Auditory/Verbal
2. Visual
3. Reading/Writing
4. Hands-on/Kinesthetic

It is crucial that you familiarize yourself with learning styles and how it affects your relationship with your employees.

You’ll likely have staff members that you only tell things to once and they’ll get it (auditory learners). Others, you may have to repeat yourself several times—leading to frustration for all of you. On the other hand, reading/writing learners can run with a few sentences of instruction in an email with four or five bullets and have 100 percent comprehension. Just be flexible with all of them.    

3. Make time to get to know your employees 

This takes Tip #1 above a little further. It means getting to know your employees’ personalities and best communication methods. For example, older employees tend to like face-to-face communication or phone calls while your young intern may shiver at the thought of talking to someone on the phone. Additionally, let them know how YOU like to communicate best.

4. Avoid making sudden changes 

Even the most positive changes cause employees stress so resist the urge to make wholesale changes in processes, procedures and job responsibilities—even when there are sound reasons for doing so. If a change needs to be made for compliance or legal reasons make the change quickly but explain why you’re doing it. If many changes need to be made, prioritize them and begin with the most critical to your organizational success.

5. Be available and visible

Give your employees a set time and set days during the week that you put aside to talk to them for any issue other than an emergency. Have them email you about the issue with at least one or two suggestions for resolving it. That way you know they will have thought about the problem before bringing it to you.    

6. Be confident  

People naturally follow confident people. Exude confidence and positivity in your actions and mannerisms and your people will respond the same way. When you make a decision or plan, be firm about it. Don’t be wishy-washy or unsure of yourself. On the other hand, don’t think that it’s a sign of weakness if you ask others their opinions about a course of action. Doing that will show your team that you value their skill and knowledge. Of course, the final say is always yours—that’s why you’re the boss—so own it.

Finally, learn to overcome your greatest challenge as a new manager  

The fact that you’ve been promoted to manager, supervisor or team leader shows that you have the skills, knowledge and work ethic to perform well in your area of expertise. However, becoming a manager or supervisor requires a whole new set of skills to handle the unique challenges you face every day. It also means overcoming one essential challenge.

New managers first and foremost, must understand that there are those that “do” and those that “manage”. Most promotions move people from doer jobs into manager jobs. Because human nature causes us to move to our greatest level of comfort, it’s often easiest for a new manager to just do something rather than get someone else to do it. Especially if there’s any risk of confrontation.

The new manager knows the job will get done right and on time if he or she does it, and it’s a lot easier to do it than to get the new subordinate to do it. Or, to even ask a subordinate to do it. This, of course, only postpones and exacerbates the central problem of learning to direct, mentor and motivate others to be the “doer”.

If you start with the six steps outlined above, your learning curve becomes much shorter and they'll help you achieve much more through others. In the end, you'll become a true leader who commands respect from everyone inside your organization - and out.