How to be a good manager
One piece of advice is to remember that, although it’s up to you to ensure that problems are solved and work is done, it’s up to the team to actually do those things. Challenge them with coming up with ideas rather than giving them the answer and asking them to implement. They can always come to you if they need further guidance or advice, but will be way more motivated if they are challenged rather than just used as an extra pair of hands.
How to display your soft skills
Sounds like a cliche, but be yourself! Whatever has got you this far in terms of managing relationships, impressing people, sensing things are wrong, or just getting things done, keep building on those things, and get them to the next level. On the cultural point discussed above, I agree this is key, and it’s a huge part of the fun! I am currently working in Spain, and I’ve learned that it is unreasonable to expect everyone to show up to a meeting within half an hour of the start time! I used to get frustrated, but now I just factor it in. The other day, we were out to lunch, and I asked if we should get back for our next meeting in five minutes. They just looked at me and ordered dessert - and I’m glad they did!
One thing I wish I’d known
Keep building on your strengths, and use others to develop your weaknesses. If you ask an expert, don’t just listen to the answer, but see how they worked it out. You’ll soon have enough knowledge to talk their language, and they’ll be more interested to help.
Finally, and this isn’t really relevant to your original questions, but I’m sad to see people above who didn’t get much out of their MBA. Like you, I was worried about the academic part, but the experience, personally and professionally, was the best thing I have ever done. I did it full time, and we had twenty six nationalities among seventy students. I was the only European in my group, and created an instant global network off the back of it. I have been to four weddings (no funerals!), and most of those seventy are still only a text away. I regularly use the knowledge I learned (or honed), but I must admit doing it part time sounds awful! The one piece of advice here is to know before you apply why you are going, and what you want from it. Definitely don’t do it for your parents, but if you want the biggest confidence boost ever, go for it!