In Part 1, I discussed three key tips for existing leaders and new managers when promoting from within. These tips will help your new manager make a successful transition into their new role.
In today's entry, we continue our advice for new managers and leaders seeking to lay the foundations for great leadership.
Handling Accountability
Great leaders know that good time management and prioritization skills are two basic building blocks of leadership.
· You know the goals for your team, but how are those goals prioritized or ranked?
· How will you allocate your team’s resources to deliver on those goals?
· Delegate. Fight the urge to spend your valuable time on tasks that do not rise to your level. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Knowing how and when to delegate is a necessary skill for all managers.
Once you have good time management and prioritization habits, you’re on the path to great leadership. Here are two additional points to consider as well.
· Avoid micromanagement. This is a common temptation for new managers who fear a lack of control. As the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat. Don’t get caught in the trap of focusing on the minutiae. Focus on delivering results.
· Avoid over-reliance on “My way or the highway” leadership, also known as command & control management. This is a quick way to disenfranchise your team and create blind spots (check out our series on biases and heuristics for more on these).
Establishing Credibility
The items above are certainly a good way to establish your credibility, and we covered some in Part 1 as well.
Servant leadership captures this concept quite well. Early on, be a resource for your team. Remove obstacles and marshal resources to deliver on those goals. This will require you to spend a lot of time communicating and managing at high levels (as opposed to micromanaging minutiae).
One more item to add: Deflect credit and accept blame.
Your job is to get the team across the finish line. Give them the credit for doing the work that created those results. Similarly, if the team does not deliver, or does not deliver on time, that is on the leadership.
You can find even more tips on this in our Leadership Series.
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.
