Congratulations, you're now a manager!

You’ll get a new title, maybe a bigger office, and a team looking up to you. You won’t be given a manual. Yet almost everyone who takes on a leadership role for the first time thinks they know in advance what that role entails. In practice, things often turn out differently.

The same goes for Jan van Aalderen. He worked his way up internally at Brout to his current position as Director of Sales and Marketing. We spoke with him about his early days as a manager, the assumptions he had, and what he believes really helps with that transition. This is something every employer or manager in an SME—whether just starting out or with years of experience—can relate to.

A suit for authority

Jan worked his way up to a leadership role by working hard and taking on a lot of responsibility. “At some point, it just makes sense to take the next step,” he says. “But of course, that doesn’t say anything about the qualities I did or didn’t have at the time. Or whether I was ready for it.”

His view of leadership was simple: tell people what to do. Be strict. Be the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave. “I thought I had to wear a suit to project authority,” Jan laughs.

Many managers at small and medium-sized businesses can relate to this. You keep growing, take on more responsibility, and before you know it, you’re leading a team. No one explains to you beforehand how that works.

One team, no boss

Jan soon learns that there are different ways to lead. That everyone on his team has different needs. That one approach doesn't work for everyone.

And perhaps the biggest eye-opener of all: they aren’t “his employees.” It’s one team, of which he himself is also a part.

What did you think leadership would be like, and what was it actually like in practice?

“I thought it was all about directing and controlling,” says Jan. “In practice, it’s much more about listening, showing trust, and daring to make mistakes yourself. At first, that felt like a weakness. Now I know it’s actually a strength.”

What he would have liked to know beforehand

Talk to managers at small and medium-sized businesses, and you’ll often hear the same concern: how do you know if you’re doing a good job? Jan struggled with that, too.

“I wish I had taken some time to reflect beforehand,” he says. “To take a moment to think about what kind of leader I wanted to be, instead of trying to fit myself into an image I had in my head.”

Help from the sidelines

What does Jan think helps the most during that transition? He knows from personal experience. “Some knowledge, space to reflect, and support from the sidelines, in the form of a program or coaching.”

Because that’s exactly what he received himself. At Brout, Jan received excellent guidance as he grew into a leadership role. Not just by figuring things out on his own, but with someone who contributed ideas and gave him the space to learn.

This isn’t earth-shattering advice. But it is advice that’s all too often overlooked in practice. Many SME employers invest in machinery, software, or marketing, but forget about the managers themselves. That makes sense—time and budget are often in short supply. Yet Sickness Absence, turnover, and unnecessary friction often stem precisely from this: a manager who has to figure things out on their own.

He wants others to have what he himself received

Jan didn’t find the answer anywhere else—he found it right there at Brout. That guidance made all the difference. “I received excellent guidance there myself,” he says. “I want other professionals to have that opportunity, too.”

About Brout

Like ZekerArbo, Brout is part of the Colbe network. That’s why we’re familiar with their approach and feel confident recommending it: training programs that help managers at small and medium-sized businesses grow more quickly in their roles, with greater self-confidence and less doubt. Just as Jan experienced himself.

Are you a first-time manager, or have you been doing it for years and realized there’s a better way? A training or coaching program at Brout will give you the same guidance Jan received: knowledge, space to reflect, and support from the sidelines.

Because being a good leader isn't just about experience. With the right guidance, you'll have it sorted in a snap, hassle-free. That's for sure.

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