Building Better Leaders Career Tips:
One of the most difficult transitions for any professional is moving from team member to formal team manager or leader. If you are on the receiving end of this positive acknowledgement of your capabilities, be prepared to deal with some unexpected headaches as you navigate these deceivingly treacherous waters.
Consider:
- You are no longer “one of the gang.” You are the boss. Don’t expect to be invited to lunch quite as often (or at all) or to be part of the backslapping and behind the scenes joking that was part of your pre-promotion life. Everyone knows you’re the boss, and while you are still the same person…you now have some degree of control over the career fortunes of the people on your team. The sooner that you come to grips with this reality, the faster you can get on with establishing your leadership credibility.
- Speaking of credibility, don’t expect everyone on your team to embrace you as the leader. There likely were several other individuals interested in the role (and pay bump), and the smiles might be visible on the outside, but you just don’t know what people are really thinking. And while it’s not critical that everyone like you, your issue is one of earning respect. Right now for some, you are guilty until proven innocent.
- Your unique technical skills and knowledge that made you successful pre-promotion are not the same core skills that will allow you to succeed in your new role. Be prepared to let go of “guru” or “expert” status. The job is about finding and developing new experts on the team.
5 Suggestions and Some Encouragement:
1. If this is your first leadership role, find a mentor and get some guidance. Hopefully, your manager is there for you, but the reality is that first-time leaders are often left to sink or swim on their own. A majority sink. Don’t let that be you.
2. Resist the urge to try and remain “one of the gang” or to adopt its evil twin, “I’m in charge.” Both are lousy approaches that will get you into trouble quickly.
3. Meet with your team members individually and use the session to ask questions and listen. I like the three questions: What’s working? What’s not working? And What do you need me to do? These questions are short, sweet and if you stay quiet and listen, you will learn a great deal and take one step down the path towards credibility.
4. There are often easy victories to deliver, and while you don’t want to bank your reputation on them, they don’t hurt. If you learn of major problems…i.e. old equipment that slows people down, departmental policies that are pointless or overly complicated, you owe it to everyone to fix some things.
5. Learn the ultimate credibility building rule, “The do must match the tell,” and live it every day. People judge you by how well you back actions with words.
Your Takeaway:
Once you move through the early awkward phase without shooting yourself in both feet, the fact that you know your team members and they know you can be a distinct advantage for all parties. Focus on becoming a leader and accept that you need to cultivate a new group of peers across the organization. Emphasize what you can do to help others and the team, and your growing credibility will allow you to both guide and assert when necessary from the position of leader, not former peer.