Adapted from the upcoming 'The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management' by Alan Murray, published by Harper Business.

What are the common mistakes of new managers? Good management has been thoroughly studied and is widely understood, but it is still more honored in its breach than in its practice. Most new managers, in particular, get it wrong.

Harvard Business School Professor Linda Hill studies those who become managers for the first time, and writes perceptively about some of the common myths and misperceptions that lead to mistakes in their early days. Among them:

Myth 1: Managers wield significant authority.

New managers were often standouts in their previous jobs, and as such, enjoyed a fair degree of independence and autonomy of action. With a new job and title, they expect to feel more authority.

Well, surprise! Most new managers report they are shocked by how constrained they feel.

'They are enmeshed in a web of relationships,' writes Ms. Hill in a 2007 Harvard Business article called 'Becoming the Boss.' 'Not only with subordinates, but also with bosses, peers, and others inside and outside the organization, all of whom make relentless and often conflicting demands on them. The resulting daily routine is pressured, hectic and fragmented.'

She quotes one new leader saying: 'Becoming a manager is not about becoming a boss. It's about becoming a hostage.'

Until new managers give up on the myth of authority, and recognize the need to negotiate their way through a web of interdependencies, they are likely to face frustration and failure.

Myth 2: Authority flows from the manager's position.

New managers frequently think that what authority they have is conferred by their title. But in fact, writes Ms. Hill, 'new managers soon learn that when direct reports are told to do something, they don't necessarily respond. In fact, the more talented the subordinate, the less likely she is to simply follow orders.'

Over time, good managers find they must earn their subordinates' respect and trust in order to exercise significant authority. They need to demonstrate to subordinates their own character, their competence, and their ability to get things done before those subordinates are likely to follow their lead.

Myth 3: Managers must control their direct reports.

New managers, insecure in their roles, often seek absolute compliance to orders from their subordinates, particularly in their early days.

But what they learn over time is that 'compliance' is not the same as 'commitment.'

'If people aren't committed, they don't take the initiative,' writes Ms. Hill. 'And if subordinates aren't taking the initiative, the manager can't delegate effectively.

The challenge for managers is to nurture a strong sense of common commitment to shared goals rather than one of blind allegiance to the managers' dictates.

Myth 4: Managers must focus on forging good individual relationships.

Ms. Hill says managers need to focus not on friendship, but on building a team.

'When new managers focus solely on one-on-one relationships, they neglect a fundamental aspect of effective leadership: harness the collective power of the group to improve individual performance and commitment,' she writes. 'By shaping team culture the group's norms and values a leader can unleash the problem-solving prowess of the diverse talents that make up the team.'

Myth 5: The manager's job is to ensure things run smoothly.

Keeping an operation running smoothly is a difficult task, and can absorb all of a new manager's time and energy. But if that's all the manager does, writes Ms. Hill, he or she is making a big mistake.

'New managers also need to realize they are responsible for recommending and initiating changes that will enhance their groups' performance,' she writes. 'Often and it comes as a surprise to most this means challenging organizational processes or structures that exist above and beyond their area of formal authority. Only when they understand this part of the job will they begin to address seriously their leadership responsibilities.'

本文節選自即將由Harper Business出版的The Wall Street Journal Guide to Management，作者是Alan Murray。

新任經理經常犯的錯誤是什么？人們對于什么是好的管理進行了徹底的研究，也有著普遍的了解，然而更多地卻是違背它，而非付諸實踐。大多數新任經理尤其會產生誤解。

哈佛商學院(Harvard Business School)教授琳達•希爾(Linda Hill)對頭一次當經理的人進行了研究，并富有洞見地寫下了會導致人們在升職之初犯錯的常見錯誤觀念和誤解。其中包括：

錯誤觀念1：經理擁有極大的權力。

新擢升的經理通常在自己原先的崗位上都干得很出色，其本身行事就有相當大的獨立性和自主權。有了新的職位和頭銜之后，他們以為會享受更大的權力。

結果卻出人意表。大多數新任經理報告說，他們對自己受到的限制震驚不已。

希爾在2007年《哈佛商業評論》(Harvard Business)上發表題為《如何當老板》(Becoming the Boss)的文章，文中說，新任經理陷入了一個關系網，不光是跟下屬的關系，還有跟老板、同級，以及公司內外的其他人的關系，這些人都會對新任經理提出嚴酷的要求，有時還會互相矛盾。結果造成日常工作壓力很大、十分忙亂，而且沒有章法。

她引用了一位新任經理的說法：成為經理跟當老板不一樣，當經理就好像成了人質。

新任經理只有拋開對權力的錯誤觀念，認識到需要跟方方面面的人協商，否則就可能面臨挫折和失敗。

錯誤觀念2：權力來自經理這個位置。

新任經理常常認為手中的權力是自己的頭銜帶來的。但實際上，希爾寫道，新任經理很快就會發現，要求下屬做事時，對方不一定會響應。事實上，下屬越有才能，就越不太可能完全服從命令。

隨著時間的推移，好經理發現，為了行使重要的職權，就必須要贏得下屬的尊敬和信任。他們需要向下屬展示自己的品格、勝任工作的能力和解決問題的能力，這樣下屬才可能服從他們的領導。

錯誤觀念3：經理必須控制下屬。

新任經理們對自己的角色還沒有安全感，他們常常會要求下屬絕對服從命令，特別是在上任伊始。

不過，他們會慢慢地學到一點，那就是服從命令不等于有責任感。

希爾寫道，如果人們沒有責任感，他們就不會積極主動；如果下屬不積極不主動，經理就無法有效地把工作委派給下屬。

經理們面臨的挑戰是培養下屬們實現共同目標的強烈共同責任感，而不是盲目服從指揮。

錯誤觀念4：經理們必須注重培養良好的個人關系。

希爾說，經理們不應把精力放在建立友誼上，而是要創建團隊。

她寫道，當新上任的經理只關心一對一的關系時，他們就會忽視有效領導的一個基本方面，即利用團隊的集體力量來提高個人業績和責任感；通過影響團隊文化（團隊的準則和價值），領導者可以激發團隊中各類人才解決問題的能力。

錯誤觀念5：經理的工作是確保事情順利進行。

保持業務順利進行是項艱巨的任務，可能會耗費一位新任經理的全部時間和精力。不過希爾寫道，如果經理做的只有這些，那他就大錯特錯了。

她寫道，新任經理還需要意識到他們有責任提出并發起能改善團隊業績的各種改變；常常，也是出乎大部分人意料的是，這意味著挑戰他們正式職權范圍以外的組織程序或是組織結構。只有當他們明白這點的時候，才能開始嚴肅地對待自己的領導責任。