Roberta Matuson* says leadership is not for everyone. For those who think it is, there are some tough lessons to be learned.
When I was 24, I was promoted into the executive suite with little more than a prayer.
The fact I lasted six years in this job was a downright miracle.
Since then, I’ve learned a ton along the way through personal experience and the experience of the clients that I coach, who face untold leadership struggles.
Here are four of those lessons.
Leadership isn’t for everyone
All too often, people are promoted into leadership roles because they’re next in line for the job.
This is a common occurrence, especially among IT and sales professionals.
You’re the most technically competent person on the team, so it stands to reason that you should be rewarded with a management role, regardless of your interest or your interpersonal skills.
Great losses occur when an individual who isn’t management material is promoted.
The organisation loses a great technical or sales resource who no longer has time to work on what they do best.
The people under this person’s domain quickly become dismayed when faced with working for a manager who isn’t cut out for a leadership role.
Productivity drops while employee turnover rises as workers leave these bosses.
The financial loss to the organisation can be astronomical.
I advise my clients to be very careful whom they place into a leadership role.
Take your time and be sure the person you are about to put into a management role has the traits that indicate they will be a phenomenal leader.
It’s lonely at the top
The higher up in the organisation you go, the lonelier it gets.
You can’t let others see you sweat, which is why so many people try to fake it until they make it.
That’s a tough act to keep up. Fear of being seen as weak keeps many leaders from asking for help.
It’s essential to have someone to help you navigate the choppy waters that all leaders experience.
Some leaders are fortunate to work for an organisation that supports executive coaching, while others decide to hire a coach independently.
Another approach to garnering support is to form a peer group of leaders who hold a similar role in other organisations.
If you choose this option, consider engaging a facilitator to ensure your meetings stay on track.
Having a seat at the table doesn’t mean you have a voice
Early in my career, I had a so-called seat at the table.
I was an executive who got to sit at the long table with people who, on paper, were my peers.
I thought I was something else until the day I discovered that what I had to say held very little weight.
I quickly learned that I would have to do some solid relationship-building with those who held power in the organisation if I was to be taken seriously.
I set up lunches with my colleagues, extended favours where I could, and hired a coach to help me navigate the politics taking place daily.
It took a while, but eventually my colleagues began to pay attention when I spoke.
I credit my coach with this transformation, as he was the one who encouraged me to slow down and invest my time wisely in building relationships up, down, and across the organisation.
Letting go is good for the soul (and employee engagement)
Many leaders struggle with letting go of the day-to-day responsibilities under their control.
They try to control and monitor everything personally. The result is a team of demoralised workers who quickly seek employment options elsewhere.
If you’ve ever worked under a leader like this, you know how challenging it can be to show up for work every day fully engaged.
A former client of mine was in this very situation. He worked for a chief executive who insisted on attending every meeting.
He hung in there as long as he could. It took only one call from a head-hunter, and he was out of there.
Micro-management is about mistrust. Those micro-managing everything believe they can do a particular task better or faster than anyone else.
What micro-managers fail to understand is that their behaviour causes long-term problems.
Team members of micro-managers often feel demoralised. They begin to question their purpose at work and whether their boss values their input.
Some employees kick back and ride the wave, figuring their manager will make corrections regardless of what they do. Others look to escape.
The micro-manager is stressed out because there aren’t enough hours in the day to do their job and everyone else’s.
It usually takes an intervention to get these leaders on track.
Reformed micro-managers usually have experienced an epiphany. Perhaps they’ve received an assessment that reveals their poor behaviour.
Or someone near and dear to them calls them out on their conduct.
These leaders eventually realise that employee engagement depends entirely on the very trust they’re eroding.
Management is a tough job. You owe it to yourself and your employees to support leaders, especially those who are suddenly in charge.
*Roberta Matuson is President of Matuson Consulting which helps Fortune 500 companies and high growth businesses create exceptional workplaces leading to extraordinary results. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared at matusonconsulting.com
