Today, we being another week-long series!
Good leaders are not born. They are made. And good leaders are always in demand.
In this series, I’ll provide you some tips to make your transition to leadership and management simpler, and give you a roadmap to extraordinary leadership.
Whether you are rising to a leadership role for the first time, or you’re making a move to a new organization or industry, being in a management role is challenging and often stressful. But it can also be very rewarding!
Hiring an experienced manager from outside the organization can be one way to reduce the learning curve, but not all companies can afford to hire experienced managers. When that is the case, you have to develop your leaders from within.
Here are 3 steps to make that transition a little bit smoother for both the organization, and the new manager.
Debrief Unsuccessful Candidates to Preserve High-Performing Cultures
Explain to unsuccessful candidates why they were not chosen for the role. This is not a job for the new manager. This is a job for existing leadership.
Don’t leave this undone, as doing so could begin to erode your company’s culture, and it doesn’t set a good example for the future leaders of the company.
Explain how these individuals can position themselves for future leadership roles, and be sure that these unsuccessful candidates will remain high-functioning team members.
Establish Your Managerial Credibility
People don’t follow titles, they follow leaders. So, you must do the work to establish your credibility.
Apply the rules evenly! Don’t play favorites for high performers and friends. Keep your objectivity, and keep everyone moving towards the goal. This will help solidify your role as a manager and establish trust among the team.
Perhaps the best way to establish your credibility is to practice good leadership fundamentals:
Communicate clearly
Leverage your team’s strengths, and work to reduce any weaknesses through intentional professional development
Advocate on behalf of your team. Make sure they have realistic goals and the tools needed to reach them
Remove obstacles preventing your team from making progress
Avoid Backsliding
Backsliding into old roles is a common temptation for new managers when promotion occurs from within the team or organization. We all want the comfort of familiarity, and this can lead to new managers falling back into their old roles, at the expense of their managerial duties, and at the expense of the team's leadership.
A primary job function for leaders and managers is to set the agenda and goals, create a path to those goals, and hold the team accountable for those results.
Existing leadership should plan regular check ins with new managers to ensure that they are finding their way in their new role.
About the Author:
Matt Beckmann is the Founder & Managing Director of Ascent Consultants. In addition to experience as a former Chief of Staff to the Missouri Auditor and as a Corporate Vice President and General Counsel, he has advanced training and certifications in law, business, coaching, athletics, and leadership. His blog content, inspired by his deep passion for unlocking his reader's best potential, consistently equips business owners and individuals with the knowledge and resources to overcome obstacles that may be hindering growth.
Ascent Consultants provides business and strategy consulting, executive and leadership coaching, and leadership assessments. By converting client growth goals into an actionable "game plan," we help companies and individuals unlock their full potential.
