We take out two words; “people” and “growth,” because a business in growth requires a lot from you, your management and employees. You are constantly shifting your focus, because after all, at every stage and context, something different is required of leaders in a growing company. There is always something to do, moving ideas forward, inspiring, motivating and sometimes (or too often) putting out fires. New teams form, with different responsibilities, and with that, exemplary behavior becomes even more important.
And also…letting go of the old. Letting go is hard, but becomes a lot easier when you can confidently hand over leadership and responsibilities. How? That’s what we look at in this article. Leadership is a profession. It takes time and is an investment. It involves trial and error and trust us; you will need help with it sooner or later.
Often the best performing employee within a team is promoted to a leadership role. The Sales leader becomes the Sales Manager. Dynamics change and the new role requires different qualities. Then it is nice if there are tools to make the role of leader a success and we see that happening too little. And that’s a shame, because research shows that 80% of those who leave do not quit their job, but rather leave their manager. This must be improved!
How to. We’ll give you some tools to get started:
As a manager, you have 3 roles to play, those of Leader, Coach and Manager. It helps to look at your role and your team with that perspective. Leadership is not just about you; it is about your team, your environment, and how you help others become better. When do you put on which hat and why? If you want to get your team on board with difficult decisions, that requires a different ‘hat’ than when you need to help someone further in their development.
Sounds like an open door and yet … if anything we often see things go wrong within organizations! Do you recognize that employees report that they don’t know where they stand? There seems to be too little “ownership”? Then a number of things are often missing such as: a clear course, clear frameworks or agreements about roles and responsibilities. Although this is clearly stated on paper, often not everyone conforms to it or the leadership team is not on the same page. This brings chaos, sometimes even paralysis. This is where it’s about really doing what you’ve agreed or expressed.
Find a fixed rhythm for coordination and meetings. This will immediately make it clear with whom and how decision-making works. It helps to make clear choices about who is and who is not there. Dare to differentiate and make distinctions; that gives peace and purpose. Be generous with information and communication to get everyone involved. Even, or especially, in all the hustle and bustle of the day.
Employees like sincere managers who are honest and know how to make good use of the team’s talents. Not perfect, but transparent. Here it’s about having genuine concern for your team and each individual and being honest and engaging in motivation appeal. Listening, asking questions, listening. By personalized approach, we also mean that it is close to you. That the style fits your values and who you are. That you know what is important to you and also show your vulnerability in that.
Looking for help to make these and many other tools more your own? Bunchmark offers a variety of leadership programs and trainings.
Especially for new managers, we have developed the First Time Manager Track. A track for organizations that want to give their new managers a flying start by sending them out into the workplace with confidence and practical tools. We can run this program in-company or managers can register for one of the open tracks. You can read all about it on our website.
Want to get in touch with one of our leadership experts? Then make an appointment through this link.
