I remember my first days as a manager as if they were yesterday. I had just moved into my tiny office, more “vintage” than new. The desk was a hand-me-down, nothing like the sleek, high-tech setups I’d grown used to. But this was my new reality — my first real shot at managing something — and someone. At the age of 28.
My office was right outside Mr. Müd’s — my boss. It wasn’t a CEO’s suite; more of a quiet corner behind the secretary’s desk, where I could hear everything but see little. But there was a perk — especially when it came to coffee. After Mr. Müd’s famous Harvard Business School cup, my blue, incognito trinket had the next spot at the machine.
The Struggle: A Market That Was Nothing Like Pharma
I had big shoes to fill. Mr. Müd, the company owner, was a pharmacist and a Harvard Business School graduate — a corporate wizard with decades of experience. My task? Resurrect a high-potential business. No pressure, right? This wasn’t about keeping things afloat; I was expected to turn things around.
But I came from the pharma world, where everything was structured: concrete data, IMS systems, and tons of support. In cosmetics? Everything felt chaotic. Google was still a toddler, and there were no ready-made CRM systems. I was essentially navigating a labyrinth with only a crayon-drawn map.
One day, I spoke to Mr. Müd’s brother, a cosmetics genius with his own beauty empire. When I asked for market data sources — expecting something like IMS — his response was a curveball:
“You need a good pair of walking shoes. No shortcuts. Walk the streets, go into every pharmacy, every perfumery, travel to each core city to gather your information.”
So, I did what any resourceful first-time manager would do: I dove into beauty magazines, networked with ad sales managers, and, yes, walked the streets of major cities, building a customer list as Mr. Müd’s brother recommended. It was like being cast in an ancient treasure hunt — but the treasure was a decent customer list.
Then came the day I had to report back to Mr. Müd. I had prepared a marketing plan I thought was solid. But as I reviewed it, I realized I was viewing everything through a pharma lens — and it wouldn’t work in the cosmetics world. My approach was all wrong.
The Courage to Reset
I knew I had to reset. I scrapped everything, tossed it into the wastepaper basket, and abandoned my pharma mindset. I had to approach this like a beginner, as if I were stepping into cosmetics for the first time, without preconceived notions. So, I started to rethink everything — not just the plan, but how the whole operation was structured. I began building the framework: planning rep visits, mapping out routes, and creating expense templates that would keep things running smoothly — all while keeping the customer at the center of it.
Leadership Is About Seeing the Unwritten
When I finally presented the new plan, Mr. Müd listened patiently. Then, he said something about the operational side that changed my perspective:
“Look, it is not so important where you write things down — I don’t care if it’s on toilet paper. What is crucial is that they are written down. The most important thing is that you learn to read between the lines — and more importantly, what’s between the unwritten.”
He then shared a story about a successful Jewish businessman who had mentored him — a man of sharp wit and business acumen. The story was about an employee who, every month, submitted an expense report that included the cost of a hat. The reason? The wind kept blowing the hat off his head as he traveled to clients. This expense appeared again and again until the businessman told him in a slightly stricter tone, “No more hat expenses.”
And… the next report had no hat expense.
“See? You learned,” said the businessman.
The employee smiled and replied, “It’s still there — you just don’t see it.”
Mr. Müd paused, letting the story sink in. The lesson was clear: there is often more to a situation than meets the eye. As a leader, I had to look beyond the obvious and learn to see the unwritten.
Here are a few lessons I learned that helped me grow as a leader:
-
Read between the lines: Don’t just focus on what is written or said. The most important clues — in business and in people — are often hidden between the lines or entirely unwritten. Pay attention to patterns, subtext, and what’s missing.
-
Reset when needed: I thought I could solve everything with my pharma background, but when I realized it wasn’t working, I scrapped everything and started fresh. That mindset shift was critical.
-
Write things down: Systems don’t have to be perfect or digital to be effective. What matters is that processes are recorded — even if it’s on toilet paper, as my wise mentor said/
You Are Not Alone, Keep Going!
If you’re a first-time manager struggling with all the new responsibilities and challenges, know this: you are not alone. Everyone starts somewhere, and it’s okay to feel uncertain — it’s part of the journey. Keep pushing forward, keep learning from those around you, and remember: every great manager had their own “mice-in-the-office” moment.
If you enjoyed this article, you can dive deeper into real-world leadership lessons and behind-the-scenes stories in my book Labyrinth of Management—available now on Amazon.
For more stories, reflections, practical leadership tips, and to stay updated you can follow me on Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook.