John Eades* says the greatest test for outstanding workers comes when they have to adapt after being promoted into a leadership role.
I was asked to evaluate a specific manager in a mid-sized organisation and it didn’t take long to figure out the problem.
His rise to a position of leadership wasn’t much different than why most organisations promote people.
He was a great performer who had provided a lot of value.
As a result he was promoted.
In the years after, the indicators that his team had fallen behind became clear.
The turnover rate was higher than other sections, negativity and pessimism surrounded his group and sub-par teamwork was rampant.
The reasons for this were clear; he took too much pride in his work and restricted participation from others.
He worked tirelessly to alleviate problems and correct the mistakes of his team.
He continued to bar his employees from contributing despite their capabilities.
It could be argued that it was his controlling nature or his perfectionist style, but the reality was much more detrimental.
He was committing the cardinal sin of selling his employees short.
An all too common issue with leadership in the workplace is people in these roles not giving their direct reports a fighting chance.
People want to be led, but they deserve a leader who is willing to give up control and responsibility to help them to become the best version of themselves.
Stop micromanaging, selling your employees short and allow your people to flourish by enacting these ideas.
Build relationships based on trust:
Relationships are the foundation of a successful work environment.
When team members do not trust their leader, or conversely, it is only a matter of time until this is exposed.
Much like a teenager’s first fender bender, it is not a matter of ‘if’, but the ‘when’.
As the Chief Executive of SAP, Bill McDermott said on the Follow My Lead Podcast: “Trust is the ultimate human currency.”
Developing trust-filled relationships is the responsibility of the person who leads the pack.
The sooner a leader can grasp this function of their role, the better off their group will be.
Be clear about the standards:
A standard, simply put, is defining what good looks like.
Leaders who sell their employees short frequently assume they understand the standards without explanation.
As you would guess, this assumption is wrong.
In order to meet or exceed these standards, expectations must be clearly communicated and defined.
In not doing so, a leader creates the opportunity for gaps in work and the likelihood that assignments will not be up to par.
Mutually agree upon the behaviour that produces results:
Behaviour is defined as the way in which someone consciously acts or conducts themselves.
The key word here is conscious.
Behaviour is often incorrectly used interchangeably with habits.
Behaviour is a conscious decision; a habit is something you do so often it becomes an integral part of your being.
Behaviour can and does vary from person to person.
With this in mind, mutually agreeing upon a team member’s behaviour that produces their best work allows a leader to hold them accountable for the process instead of the results.
Hold them accountable:
Accountability is one of those uncomfortable words that most people do not like to say or even think about.
Author Pat Lencioni says it best in his book, The Advantage: “Accountability is all about having the courage to confront someone about their deficiencies, to stand in the moment to deal with their reaction.”
Once articulated, you must commit to communicating when team members do not meet required behavioural expectations.
Act immediately when you observe an instance of or a consistent pattern of deficient behaviour.
Provide challenging work:
A common problem among leaders who sell their employees short is not providing enough challenging work.
This often stems from the fear that employees cannot handle a given task.
Worse than this, a leader may try to shield them from failure.
Without the chance to step outside of their comfort zone, it is impossible for a person to improve.
When given a challenge, future skills and success is attainable by individuals and an organisation.
A leadership position requires the continued empowerment of team members.
The necessary growth for success will never come if a leader does not build relationships based on trust, agree on the behaviour that produces results, hold employees accountable, and provide challenging work.
By relaxing control and allowing employees to take on larger participant roles, a leader can more efficiently provide their team with the tools to accomplish mutual goals.
*John Eades is the Chief Executive of LearnLoft and author of F.M.L. Standing Out and Being a Leader. He is also the host of the Follow My Lead Podcast and can be followed on instagram @johngeades.
A version of this article originally appeared on Inc.com
