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Boundary setting, balance and building confidence at work

Boundary setting, balance and building confidence at work

Learn key leadership skills and build your self confidence as a manager

Course overview

Being a line manager isn't easy. Managing people while balancing your own workload takes care, self-confidence and clear boundaries. Without them, it's easy to feel stretched too thin or unsure of your authority.

Whether you're new to managing or looking for ways to feel more in control, this line manager training course gives you practical, everyday tools to build confidence at work, set healthy boundaries and balance responsibilities so you can feel confident in your role.

What's inside this course:

Led by Leadership Coach, Anise Frost, this course has three short modules designed to strengthen your leadership skills:

  • Balancing your workload with managing people - Learn how to prioritise, delegate and make space for your team while still balancing your workload.

  • Setting boundaries for yourself and your team - Discover boundary setting techniques that help you create healthy boundaries for yourself and your team.

  • Building confidence and authority as a manager: Explore simple confidence building strategies to overcome self doubt, find your voice and maintain confidence at work.

The course is designed to be short and practical, so you can take the modules in any order, revisit when needed and use the included resources to put your learning into action.

What you'll walk away with:

By the end of this course, you'll feel more confident as a line manager, equipped with practical tools to balance your workload, set boundaries and get a real confidence boost in your professional life. You'll have the clarity and strategies you need for building confidence and leading with impact.

Start this course
Module 1

Balancing your workload with managing people

How to find balance when you're managing team workload and have conflicting priorities

Becoming a line manager means you're often expected to lead a team while still doing your old day-to-day job. This can quickly create overwhelm, poor boundaries and a higher risk of burnout. That's why learning to balance workload and people responsibilities is so important. It's fundamental for your personal wellbeing and your professional growth.

In this module, Anise shows you how to protect time for what matters, prioritise effectively and delegate with confidence.

And in the resources section, you'll find a RAG template to help you spot when things are off balance, plus an infographic you can keep to hand to help decide whether to take a task on yourself, delegate or push back.

Useful resources:

Module 2

Setting boundaries for yourself and your team

Why boundaries matter and how to set them in the workplace

Boundaries aren’t about saying no to everything – they’re about creating clear expectations so you and your team can work in a way that’s healthy and sustainable. They also help others understand your limits and expectations, which in turn builds respect and strengthens your authority in the workplace.

In this module, Anise shares guidance on how to define and protect your own boundaries, support your team in setting their own and tips on clearly communicating boundaries across the wider business.

You'll also explore how boundaries can help increase self assurance within your team, supporting both their professional development and personal growth.

And in the resources section, you'll find a checklist you can take away to help you reflect on what boundary setting currently looks like for you and your team - and take small, practical steps to improve it.

Useful resources:

Module 3

Building confidence and authority as a manager

How to build confidence at work and develop your leadership skills

Workplace confidence doesn't mean having all the answers. It means trusting yourself to lead, listen and make decisions.

In this module, Anise will walk you through confidence building strategies to develop self assurance, overcome self doubt and trust in your own authority.

You'll also explore how to overcome negative self talk and inner dialogue that can hold you back. She shares how things as simple as preparing before important conversations, using confident body language such as steady eye contact and following through consistently can help you feel more in control at work.

In the resources section, you'll find a guide packed with tools and advice to help you feel confident, overcome self-doubt and grow into your own authentic way of leading.

Useful resources:

Managers lack power and authority at work, study reveals

 

London, UK - New research has revealed an “authority gap”, which could prevent line managers from performing their roles effectively.

The survey of over 500 UK line managers, commissioned by HR software provider for small and scaling businesses Breathe HR, found that while line managers are tasked with responsibility, they often lack authentic power and authority within their organisation. 

This phenomenon, which experts are calling the “authority gap”, might include lacking the power to influence and make key decisions autonomously, control budgets, and shape team  objectives, despite having a managerial role. 

“Authority gap” creates cohort of “fauxthority” line managers

Overall, nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents admitted that, although they are responsible for one or more direct reports, they lack genuine power and authority within their organisation. 

Surprisingly, it’s not the newest managers who feel the “authority gap” most acutely:

  • Managers with 1 - 3 years of experience were most likely to feel like “fauxthority figures”, with 72% admitting they are responsible for people but feel powerless

  • By contrast, just 66% of managers with less than six months’ line management experience - and 63% of those with 6-12 months’ line management experience - said the same

 

Lack of training fuelling “authority gap”

When line managers were asked about factors that could be deepening the “authority gap”: 

  • More than 8 in 10 (83%) said they believe that authority increases in line with tenure 

  • Nearly 7 in 10 (69%) said more training would help them feel more confident and authoritative at work 

  • 43% said they don’t think their personality lends itself naturally to line management or leadership

  • Over a third (36%) said they feel people doubt their authority because of their age 

 

While factors like personality and tenure of line managers are largely beyond employers’ control, providing training and support to managers is within the organisation’s power. Yet, the findings suggest that this crucial area is being overlooked by organisations: 

  • Around 1 in 5 (18%) respondents said they received no formal training before becoming a line manager.

  • 17% said they have never been formally trained to handle tricky or unexpected workplace situations. 

  • A further 15% said they hadn’t been given any training to boost their confidence, authority and leadership skills. The lack of this type of training was most pronounced among experienced managers, with a third (33%) of those with 5+ years of line management experience reporting they had received no such support.

The findings suggest that a lack of training is fuelling the “authority gap”, leaving line managers ill-equipped to handle the everyday challenges of their roles. 

In response to the findings, Breathe HR is calling on employers to recognise line managers‘ pivotal role in workplaces, and invest in more support, training and resources to empower these key players to lead effectively and close the “authority gap”. 

To help, Breathe HR has launched the Breathe Growth Academy – a free skills hub designed to close workplace knowledge gaps in SME businesses, which often lack the time and funds to offer formal training in such areas. The Academy’s first course - Line Manager Essentials Training - recently launched with a series of bitesized interactive modules which will empower line managers with the skills to lead with confidence, authority, and impact. 

 

Phil Coxon, Managing Director at Breathe HR said: 

 “Line managers are business powerhouses. Yet they’re being overlooked – often tasked with a list of different responsibilities without any real power or authority to drive genuine impact. It’s a huge misstep. People drive business performance, and who understands your people better than their line managers?

 “With everything being thrown at businesses right now – from tax hikes to new workers’ rights – employers cannot afford to overlook those key players who keep teams well, engaged, and delivering results. 

 “We must recognise line managers as changemakers, who play a vital role in organisations. We must invest in their training and help them fully realise their skills, confidence, influence and authority. That’s how we create stronger, more resilient teams and unlock the full potential of our people - a must in challenging times.“

 

Charlie O’Brien, Head of People at Breathe HR said: 

 “Line managers are the glue that knits organisations together. They’re the ones on the front lines, who support and drive team performance, engagement and success. 

 “But they can only do this properly when they are empowered with tools, training and support. 

 “Employers who invest in and listen to their people managers – giving them real authority to make decisions, influence policy and shape outcomes – will see stronger, more confident managers, and teams that truly thrive.”

 

For all press inquiries, please contact Helena Forsberg helena@crestcomms.com

Congratulations, you've completed Breathe's boundary setting, balance and confidence course for line managers

You’ve completed Breathe’s boundary setting, balance and confidence course for line managers and learned how to set healthy boundaries, manage workload sustainably and lead with presence. You now have practical tools to protect your own wellbeing, prevent burnout, and create a culture where your team feels supported, respected and able to do their best work.

You’ve taken an important step towards becoming a more confident, balanced and effective manager – someone who can role-model healthy boundaries, support their team’s wellbeing and build the self-confidence needed to thrive at work.

Ready to test your knowledge?

Take the end-of-course quiz and earn your downloadable certificate when you score 80% or above.

Once you’re done, keep building your confidence with the rest of our expert-led Line Manager Essentials training in the Breathe Growth Academy – covering everything from performance management to team communication.

If you’re a Breathe customer, don’t forget you can track your learning under ‘My training’ in your Breathe account.

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