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September 9, 2024
You’ve just promoted one of your top performers to a leadership role.
They’re excited, motivated and ready to take on the challenge.
But as you watch them navigate their new responsibilities, you start to notice some gaps in their leadership skills.
It’s a common occurrence, even for the most talented individuals who’ve demonstrated success as an individual contributor or first-line supervisor.
You, and they, might be questioning if this was the right time to take on the new responsibilities.
A recent client of mine in a new people leader role was struggling with delegating tasks, managing conflict and motivating her team.
She felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work and responsibilities.
She was desperate for support but didn’t have a place to go.
Ultimately, she left her employer after a short time, seeking a company that would not only promote her but also support her continual growth.
She’s confident that this step back will position her well for that next people leader role in her future.
This scenario is all too familiar.
Many newly promoted leaders face similar challenges.
But with the right support and development, the transition from manager to leader can be smoother for both the new leader and their team.
Understanding the difference
A manager is primarily focused on maintaining the status quo, ensuring tasks are completed and adhering to established procedures.
The functions of accountability are indeed important.
In contrast, a leader is a visionary who inspires others to achieve shared goals.
They foster a positive and safe work environment, encourage innovation and empower their teams to reach their full potential.
The role of employers
Employers play a critical role in developing leaders within their organizations.
By creating a culture of leadership development, offering training and development programs and encouraging a growth mindset, they can equip their employees with the skills and competencies necessary to succeed as leaders.
The struggle of new people leaders
One of the most common challenges faced by first-time people leaders is the lack of support and guidance they receive immediately following and in their first year after their promotion.
Many new leaders report feeling lost, overwhelmed and unsure of how to effectively navigate their new role.
This can lead to low morale, decreased productivity and even turnover – for the new leader and those who report to them.
The new leaders’ manager might be struggling as well as a consequence of the new leaders’ challenges.
This ripple effect can be wide and significant if left unattended.
Creating a culture of leadership development
A culture of leadership development is one in which employees are encouraged to take on leadership roles and are provided with the support and resources they need to succeed.
This involves setting clear expectations for leadership behavior, providing opportunities for leadership development and recognizing and rewarding leadership qualities.
Offering leadership training, development programs
Leadership training and development programs can help managers develop the skills and competencies they need to become effective leaders.
These programs may include tailored and ongoing training to address specific leadership skills, mentorship programs to provide guidance and support, and coaching for personalized development.
Encouraging a growth mindset
A growth mindset is essential for leadership development.
It involves believing that one’s abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.
Employers can foster a growth mindset by supporting employees in taking risks and experimenting, celebrating failures as opportunities for growth and providing ongoing effective feedback and coaching.
Key leadership qualities to develop
To become an effective leader, managers must develop a range of essential qualities, including:
- Emotional intelligence: The ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. Using EQ to make better decisions, manage stress better and maintain strong relationships.
- Vision and strategic thinking: The ability to develop a clear vision for a team and align goals and strategies. At each stage of leadership, the scope of this vision will expand accordingly.
- Communication skills: The ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization. Feedback, critical conversations and setting goals all start with communicating well.
- Change management: The ability to lead through organizational change. It’s no secret that we are always on a path of change. The better leaders choose whether they are initiating improvement (change) or are choosing to react rather than respond to changes.
- Adaptability: The ability to adapt to changing circumstances.
- Empathy: The ability to connect with the feelings of others. This can contribute to a sense of caring for each other, which can go a long way in reducing conflict.
- Humility: The ability to acknowledge one’s strengths and weaknesses. The humanity of the workplace is becoming increasingly important. Being a leader with humility helps others relate with them.
- Delegation: The ability to effectively delegate tasks. Approaching this less about getting something off of your plate and more about developing others is key.
- Resilience: The ability to bounce back from setbacks. Leaders are watched for how they’ll respond to these changes.
- Integrity: The ability to act with honesty, integrity and ethical behavior. This is the core of trust. Without trust, so much is difficult. With trust, the possibilities are vast.
Case studies of successful leadership development
Many organizations have successfully developed leaders through strategic initiatives and programs.
For example, a well-known, technology-based organization implemented a comprehensive leadership development program that included mentorship and coaching outside of the organization’s own reporting lines, along with experiential learning opportunities.
This program helped not only to set their new leaders up for success and improved their retention rate of new leaders, but they also saw unexpected improvements in their revenue and engagement.
Similarly, an industrial supplier established a values-based culture that supported innovation and experimentation, encouraging employees to take risks and learn from their mistakes.
This approach fostered a sense of creativity and empowerment, leading to significant breakthroughs and organizational success.
They are now poised to take this long-established business to exponentially increase their sales in the next seven years.
Another client of mine recognized that past training programs lacked the long-term impact they desired.
For a new initiative with their team focusing on emotional intelligence, they knew it would be critical that the skills be fully integrated into their styles for them to get a return on their investment.
We worked together to establish a regular pattern of work with her leaders outside of the training room on these skills and mindsets.
They reported several months after this process was completed that they did indeed see an improved ROI.
Conclusion
Remember, the journey from manager to leader is a continuous one.
It’s about ongoing learning, growth and self-reflection.
By investing in leadership development, organizations can empower their employees, foster a positive work environment, and drive long-term success.
