Flying by the seat of your pants is completely normal. Read about "imposter syndrome". Obviously you can still improve, and you will.<p>Some basic suggestions:<p>You'll learn from experience while you go, far more than from reading books (although that's still good). The fact that you're asking is a good sign. Find a mentor and meet them regularly, in person. You'll benefit from an external perspective.<p>Work out how to support your team while keeping everyone's expectations realistic. It's easy to burn yourself out by taking on too many responsibilities. In cynical workplaces, this can lead to you being hung out to dry and alienated, which is thankfully rare in my experience.<p>Short (5 minute) meetings at the beginning or end of the day are better than hours of chat. Usually.<p>Your job includes removing your team's barriers and problems. Ask them what they are.<p>Figure out what motivates individuals and empower/enable them to get it.<p>Praise in public, criticise (constructively!!) in private.<p>Constructive criticism: extremely hard to get right. Sensitivity is critical. Ask for training. Objectives need to be S.M.A.R.T. Don't dwell on the negatives. Find ways to reach the positive. You will never perfect this.<p>Protect your team. Do it without pissing off your colleagues and superiors. This is not easy :)<p>The best managers I've known have qualities that I know when I see, but would struggle to define. Breezy, friendly but professional, reliable, genuine, clear understanding of both big and small picture... difficult to cultivate all this but not impossible.<p>Get up from your desk. Meet people in person. Meet your mentor in person. Walk and talk instead of email/slack. Skype is not "in person". Your interpersonal skills will improve.<p>Finally: things will go wrong. This is painful. It happens to everyone, don't beat yourself up. Carry the good things with you and learn to let go of failure. I'm still working on this one!<p>Anyway. That's a scattergun offloading of some highlights I've learned. There's no recipe, but there are some basic ingredients. Oh... everyone's different as are their circumstances, and none of the above may apply.<p>Good luck, you can do it.