Leadership Caffeine Podcast #7: Kevin Eikenberry on Making the Shift from “Bud to Boss”

September 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Cover art for Leadership Caffeine PodcastThe most difficult job in the professional life of any leader may very well be that first role…when he or she moves from individual contributor to suddenly being responsible for the outcomes of others.

For those of you who lived through it, you know that the experience can be uncomfortable, awkward, and even a bit intimidating. Of course, most first-time leaders have a caring, nurturing coach in the form of their direct manager, standing by to help and guide through the difficult patches, right?  Wrong!!

In my own work for my book with Rich Petro, Practical Lessons in Leadership, the feedback was loud and clear:

  • Most first-time leaders earned their position more by accident than plan.
  • A majority of these first-time leaders indicate that they did not receive adequate support from their manager.

Additional research offers that there’s a tremendous first-time leader flame-out problem, with many of these accidental and under-supported professionals flailing and failing in their initial role. That’s not good for anyone…the individual, the team members or the organization.

This truly critical issue receives some much needed attention in the recent book, From Bud to Boss-Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership by consultants, authors and leadership experts, Kevin Eikenberry and Guy Harris.  While the focus is on helping the first time leader successfully transition from one of the gang to leader, this book is equally important for those responsible for developing and supporting first-time leaders.

Enjoy this high-energy conversation with Kevin Eikenberry.

Leadership Caffeine Podcast Episode 7: Kevin Eikenberry on Making the Shift from Bud to Boss [ 17:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Show Sound-Bites:

  • The complexity of transitioning from contributor and group member to leader.
  • Understanding the very real transition in relationships when you move into leadership or, “Lunch will never be the same.”
  • Areas where first-time leaders most-often struggle.
  • Those challenging initial conversations with your new direct reports.
  • Advice for getting off to a good start.
  • The need to partner with your boss.
  • How to survive a “promote and run” boss.
  • The importance of “confident humility” when starting out.
  • Dealing with the legacy of your predecessor.
  • Some lessons learned since writing the book.

Kevin is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a leadership and learning consulting company that has been helping organizations, teams and individuals reach their potential since 1993.

Related Podcast for Senior Leaders: Episode #6-Scott Eblin on Successfully Moving to The Next Level.

About The Leadership Caffeine Podcast:

The purpose of this show is to connect with leaders, management thinkers, authors, educators, entrepreneurs and anyone else passionate about improving and innovating in leadership and management. If you are interested in being a guest on the show, contact Art Petty.

–

About Art Petty:

Art Petty is a Leadership & Career Coach helping motivated professionals of all levels achieve their potential. In addition to working with highly motivated professionals, Art frequently works with project teams in pursuit of high performance. Art’s second book, Leadership Caffeine-Ideas to Energize Your Professional Development, will be published in September of 2011.

Contact Art via e-mail to discuss a coaching, workshop or speaking engagement.

Filed Under: Leadership Caffeine Podcast Tagged With: , , , ,

Lend a Coaching Hand to Your First-Time Leaders

June 14, 2011 By 9 Comments

I was promoted to my first supervisory job because the last guy didn’t show up that day. The manager said, “You’re in charge here. Don’t muck it up.” (The word he used wasn’t “muck”)

Yeah, I know that no one was there to show you the ropes when you were drafted into your first supervisory role. And yes, instead of sinking, you figured out how to swim. And of course, we’ve all heard the saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

Putting all of those experiences and maxims aside, the only right thing to do is to support your first-time leaders by paying attention and offering frequent feedback. I’m not suggesting that you provide the answers and I’m certainly not suggesting you micro-manage. I am however, encouraging you to take on the coaching role that is so often not a part of the confusing universe of our newest supervisors.

“I was told about the new position on Friday, and my boss left for a month-long overseas tour on Sunday. Those first few weeks with the team were uncomfortable to say the least. Fortunately, only one person quit.”

You might have great faith in the ability of your newly promoted leader to figure it out, and that’s good. However, faith in this setting doesn’t replace the need for you to support this person all the way to success. He or she is an extension of you and your brand, and you are not doing anyone any good by releasing a poorly prepared and generally lost new leader on your team.

“I was excited that she saw leadership potential in me. It’s too bad that my inexperienced interpretation of how a leader was supposed to act resembled something between a despot and a dictator.  Once my boss finally caught on, it took several months to unwind the damage.”

Few first-time leaders have proper context for their new role and how to effectively carry it out. That should come as no surprise, as the only true way to learn how to lead is to actually gain experience doing it. Good coaching leaders recognize the need to allow people to make mistakes with the reality that proper and timely involvement can shrink the learning curve and in some circumstances, lessen the potential for new-leader fallout.

The Bottom-Line for Now:

Choose your new leaders carefully. Provide ample context for the journey. Serve as a sounding board for ideas while resisting the urge to provide all of the answers. Offer your positive and constructive feedback liberally, and most of all, pay attention.

Your presence as a coach and a stakeholder in the development of the new leader will have a significant impact on the outcome for this emerging leader. And your positive example will be visible to all to learn from and emulate.

Filed Under: Leadership, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , ,

Enjoy Being Part of the Gang? Better Not Lead.

August 4, 2009 By 6 Comments

One of the rude awakenings for leaders promoted from within a team is the uncomfortable recognition that the easy camaraderie of the pre-promotion days immediately gives way to an awkward distancing of relationships.

Congratulations on your promotion.  Oh, and you’re no longer part of the gang!

I’ve counseled early career leaders on this topic and one of the most difficult parts of their transition from team member to team leader is the sudden feeling of loneliness.

“I’m still the same person,” they tell me emphatically. “I can separate work from the social discussions at lunch or over a beer after work,” they add.

“Yes you are,” and “No you cannot,” I respond.

The bad news is that close “out of work” relationships (let’s stop at friendships and skip the Pandora’s box of workplace romances for now) will also change. Maybe not immediately, but at some point, you will make a decision that will upset your friend(s) and the reality of your position will become painfully visible to all parties.

The good news is that you’ll go to lunch again…with your team members and also with your new peers. However, it will never be the same. As a leader, you are no longer part of the gang. That is as it should be.

Here are a few reasons why:

  • You now have a vote…in some cases a big vote in the fortunes of your colleagues. From simple decisions on assignments and projects to large decisions on promotions and even terminations, you now have influence over the lives of your colleagues.
  • See the point above.  Everyone knows it.
  • Your new role has very explicit responsibilities and a degree of objectivity is required for successful execution of your role.
  • You must be comfortable supporting and coaching your team members, and that includes conducting tough discussions. While some might argue that this is what friends are for, let’s face it, it is remarkably awkward to have to tell your friend that her behavior is impacting her career and the output of the team and here’s how it needs to change.
  • You need to earn respect and grow your credibility as a leader. That’s not happening at the bar after work or as you sit around and join the group commiseration over the bad habits of the boss. Hey, you’re the boss!
  • You’ve taken a step in your career. Like leaving the comfort of high school and home for the foreign experience of college, you’ve embarked on a new journey for destinations unknown. Change is part of the equation.

The Bottom-Line:

I will reiterate that you can still find fun and cultivate effective professional relationships as a leader, and of course, you should. However, if this role is right for you, it’s necessary to leave behind some of the vestiges of your early career. One is being part of the gang.

As a postscript, it’s not uncommon to run into more experienced managers that still try to play the “Hey, I’m just a person here, not your boss” card, and it always smells rotten to me. Don’t believe them. I’ve known more than a few people that ended up on the wrong side of their “buddy’s” decision and wondered what hit them.

Want to command respect as a leader. Start acting like one from day one.

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Career, Decision-Making, Leadership, Professional Growth Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Leadership Caffeine: Strengthen Your Leadership Foundation

June 29, 2009 By 5 Comments

The best leaders in my opinion are guided by a strong sense of duty and responsibility. The individuals that succeed in motivating, inspiring and even changing the lives and careers of others operate with an underlying philosophical foundation that they draw upon to remain focused and steadfast in pursuing their daily activities.

Everyone else sort of wanders through the leadership woods, reacting more on instinct than acting as if they are being guided by a stronger sense of purpose and duty.

First-time leaders wander a great deal, often because they are thrust into the very difficult role of a leader without much more than a pat on the back and a disingenuous “let me know if you need any help.” Others get a two-day training class and a binder of materials that sit on the shelf in their offices for the next few years.

Mid-career leaders that survived those awkward first few years often settle into a pattern that includes guiding people on tasks and managing to minimize their own personal risk.

In both cases, the cost to our organizations is huge in real and in psychic terms. Floundering first-time leaders create tremendous disruption and take a significant toll on the unwitting victims around them. Mid-manager malaise sucks the energy and life out of a team and entire organizations, resulting in an employee culture where everyone seems to be walking around with their feet encased in concrete.

Unfortunately, I see far more concrete-encased teams and managers and floundering first-time leaders than those guided by a clear sense of duty and responsibility. I also hear from a lot of people that are caught up in those traps seeking a way out.

The good news is that many express a desire to change. First-time leaders would rather succeed than flail and a great number of people that have had the leadership life sucked out of them would like to renew and re-energize their careers.

One of the activities that I encourage those interested in changing and improving is to craft some form of personal philosophical statement that will guide and serve as a frequent reminder as to their true role. I have my own, and I call it The Leader’s Charter.

I’ve written about this before. It’s one of those topics and one of those important tools that bears repeating. The Charter helps remind me of my True North as a leader and allows me to align my priorities properly when I feel them drifting in the face of the urgent-unimportant. My version reads as follows:

Art’s Personal Leader’s Charter:

My primary role as a leader is to create an environment that:

Facilitates high individual and team performance against company and industry standards

Supports and promotes innovation in processes, programs and approaches

Encourages collaboration where necessary for objective achievement

And…

Promotes the development of my associates in roles that leverage their talents and interests and that challenge them to new and greater accomplishments.

I developed this as a younger leader and refined it over time based on my own experiences…both the successes and the failures. The words are noble and the thoughts lofty, but every word and phrase has a very distinct meaning for me in my leadership life.

I anchor on creating the effective environment as a core priority; never lose track of the fact that my firm is looking for performance and innovation and last and most important of all, I remind myself that my highest and best use is to help others develop.

The Charter has served me well.

Perhaps you know someone that is earnest in their desire to improve and hungry for something that will give context to their activities as a leader. Encourage them or help them create their own Charter. Use mine or parts of mine if it fits, or create something new from the ground up.

And when you or they are finished, put the charter in a place of prominence to both remind you of your role and priorities but also to show others how you view your role and what they can expect from you as a leader.

The words are important but of course, they are the easy part. The real payoff comes in striving to live up to Your Leader’s Charter.

Filed Under: "To Do" List, Career, Leadership, Leadership Caffeine, Performance, Professional Growth, Values Tagged With: , , , , , , ,