No matter how much work you have or how busy you get...understand the key to improving your capabilities as a manager and enhancing your character...is taking time to work on yourself. 

Life can be a never-ending journey of self-improvement if you choose to prioritize improving your qualities.

And the work you do as a manager, the hard work that you put into your job, can refine your character.

The Importance of Working on Self

As a manager, company executives may have monumental expectations of you. For example, managing teams will require you to be an expert in conflict resolution while also being competent in the technical areas relevant to leading your team

You might work harder than anyone else in the company and be expected to be a role model for your employees whom they can rely on - hard to do in stressful times.

To be successful you must work on yourself, discover new skills, and develop your existing abilities to advance yourself.

Many experienced professionals have exclaimed that the people who tend to lead from the middle are the ones who take on the most work and often find themselves stuck between a variety of conflicting responsibilities and projects and a host of disparate constituencies.

You may find yourself right in the middle of the system needing to prioritize and balance the tasks allotted to you. Be careful not to take on more than you can handle and, work harder on yourself than them...

Qualities You Should Develop Within Yourself

Resiliency

A significant amount of work and the added pressure of leading your employees can take a heavy toll on your mental state.

Develop resiliency.

Do this by learning how to handle stress and be more flexible when facing setbacks.

Learning Agility

In addition to being mentally resilient, become highly adaptable.

Learn to be competent in managing all types of conflicts and projects.

Agility will help you succeed with a variety of different responsibilities you will be assigned.

Conclusion

Although focusing on the work you put into your job, caring for your employees, and delivering exceptional work for your boss is important, it is critical to internalize the idea that the work you put into yourself is just as essential, if not more.