The New Manager Playbook: How to Lead with Clarity and Confidence

People Managing People

Most new managers aren't failing because they're bad at the job. They're failing because no one ever told them what the job actually is.

In this episode, David talks with Lia Garvin, author of The New Manager Playbook, about the real barriers keeping new managers from delivering results. It's not a lack of ambition or intelligence. It's a complete absence of clear expectations, practical support, and trust—from both directions.

They unpack why performance reviews so often feel arbitrary, how workplace surveillance backfires, and why calling your team a "family" is setting everyone up for disappointment. Whether you're newly promoted or managing the managers, this episode will reframe how you think about delegation, accountability, and what it really takes to lead.

Related Links:

• Join the People Managing People community forum
• Subscribe to the newsletter to get our latest articles and podcasts
• Connect with Lia on LinkedIn
• Check out Lia’s book: The New Manager Playbook and the Managing Made Simple podcast

Support the show

Chapters

1. The Importance of Setting Expectations (00:00:00)

2. The Future of Management (00:04:20)

3. Building Trust Through Autonomy (00:14:15)

4. Pre and Post-Mortems for Psychological Safety (00:20:30)

5. Redefining Manager-Employee Relationships (00:25:15)

6. Making One-on-Ones Meaningful (00:31:10)

7. Effective Recognition and Feedback (00:36:40)