You Got Promoted…So, Why is Everything Falling Apart?
Newly minted leaders bring to their roles the energy, passion and talent that skyrocket their careers.
Yet the knowledge and skills you acquire early on in your career are only part of the success equation. At a certain point – most likely the point where you start leading others – your interpersonal behaviors will tip the scale. Will you be a great and respected leader or just irrelevant?
Let’s review 5 key steps to make your transition into leadership a great one!
1. Look Forward.
What Might Be Holding You Back? You keep relying on “old formulas”.
The Solution
Stop looking in the rear view mirror only. What are the current needs of your team? What will they need in the next 6-12 months? Now, reflect on what has worked for you in the past. What, if anything, can you retool for the current and future needs of your team? What do you need to let go of?
Every successful leader adapts. They figure out what to pull out from their bag of tricks or when to try a new one in order to engage and galvanize their teams.
So go ahead, look forward.
2. Learn, Learn, And Learn.
What Might Be Holding You Back? You think you have all the answers.
The Solution
Realize you don’t have the answers to all the questions. As Leaders, the questions you ask are just as important as the results you bring in.
Asking questions help you evolve your approach and enhance your credibility as a leader. More importantly, it leads to the meaningful dialogue that clears the way for outstanding results.
Ask, and then ask some more.
3. See Everything as an Opportunity.
What Might Be Holding You Back? All you do is “Save the Day”.
The Solution
Rather than “Saving the Day”, use the moment to better develop your staff. Do you actually have to make that call? Or, could you coach your team member on how to best manage that conversation? Do you actually have to proof that PowerPoint deck or could you set expectations and give feedback? Do you actually have to go to that meeting? If yes, take someone from your team to give him or her positive exposure to the client while they learn from the experience.
The more your staff develops, the more they can handle – which in turn frees you to do your job, be more strategic, and work on your own development.
Win/Win for all.
4. Be Transparent, Clear and Timely.
What Might Be Holding You Back? You don’t take the time to think about how to best communicate.
The Solution
With the best intentions, communications can go awry.
New leaders trapped in the “I must do it all” mode, can miss great opportunities to communicate goals, needs and important feedback to their teams. Be aware of how you communicate vs. the team’s needs. You may have to flex to their style to make sure you are heard. In any case, your communications need to be transparent, clear and timely.
No surprises, please.
5. Be Results Focused
What Might Be Holding You Back? You forget that it is through your team (not in spite of them) that you will deliver results.
The Solution
Focus on building strong relationships with your team and help them build strong working relationships with each other.
Patrick Lencioni’s 5 Dysfunctions of a Team outline how teams that have trust and honest dialogue can hold themselves accountable for their results. Rather than being in the weeds and trying to manage everything, you can encourage them to tap into each other’s talents and strengths. They should not (and need not) depend on you for everything.
Your job is to be their leader – not Mom or Dad.
Now what?
Examine where you currently are as a leader. Are you having the impact you are looking for? Are you and your team moving forward? If you see that you’re in the “stuck” position, move through each of these steps outlined today. You’ll be surprised how well they work and the great discoveries you will make about yourself and your team.