Leadership isn't just about mastering a checklist of skills. It's a commitment to igniting the potential within others. It's the responsibility to not just guide your team, but to nurture their talents, celebrate their successes, and encourage them to soar beyond your own achievements. This transformative journey requires more than technical savvy; it demands a heart of service, a spirit of generosity, and the unwavering belief that your team's growth is the true mark of your own success.
Be careful what you say
As a manager, you hold a significant position of authority, and the impact of your words is much greater than in your previous roles. This enhanced influence can be beneficial, but it also comes with the risk of negative consequences if not handled with caution. Consider the following scenario as an example.
Scenario: Negative Impact
The setting is a quarterly meeting of various employee groups within your company, aimed at discussing key initiatives and addressing concerns. The atmosphere is a blend of eagerness and tension.
As the meeting progresses, you notice that only a few employees are actively participating, while many remain silent. Remembering your previous non-managerial role, you decide to encourage more participation. However, instead of inviting input in an inclusive manner, you directly call out individuals who haven't spoken, putting them on the spot.
This approach unintentionally creates discomfort among the team members. Those called upon feel pressured and embarrassed, leading to short, unengaged responses. The environment becomes increasingly tense, and the open exchange of ideas is stifled.
As the meeting concludes, instead of a sense of unity and achievement, there's a feeling of dissatisfaction and demoralization. Your attempt to boost participation inadvertently resulted in a decrease in team morale and openness.
In reflection, this scenario reveals the delicate balance a manager must maintain in their communication and leadership approach. It underscores the need for sensitivity, inclusivity, and thoughtful encouragement that facilitates a positive and productive team environment.
Now, let's explore a different scenario, one where your influence as a manager plays a key role in creating a positive outcome.
Scenario: Positive Impact
Imagine being a manager and gathering for a quarterly diversity and inclusion employee groups meeting. You, a manager keenly aware of the power dynamics at play, sensed a mix of anticipation and unease. Dominant voices filled the air, while others remained hesitant, their valuable perspectives struggling to be heard.
As you remember your own past experiences from before you were a manager, you empathized with those feeling overshadowed. So you seized the moment, you proposed a shift - a round-table format where everyone could contribute. You emphasized the power of diverse perspectives and encouraged quieter voices to share their ideas.
Your intervention created a domino effect. Hesitation gave way to open dialogue, enriching the discussion with valuable insights. By the meeting's end, a palpable sense of accomplishment pervaded the room. Employees, empowered and heard, felt their ideas mattered. You, the manager who facilitated this inclusive dialogue, realized your role - not just leading, but building a bridge where diverse voices could thrive and fuel innovation.
This scenario highlights the pivotal role of how being a manager is impactful and how words have weight.
Holding yourself Accountable as a People Leader
I've witnessed it too often, managers quick to punish for a missed deadline or a flawed project. While accountability is crucial, I believe it's a two-way street. When someone consistently underperforms, it's time to shift the focus inward, not outward. Blaming a direct report for every mistake overlooks a crucial truth – leadership accountability.
Think about it. If someone stumbles consistently, shouldn't we, as leaders, turn the spotlight inward first? Did we provide clear, actionable feedback? Did we communicate the bigger picture, the "why" behind the tasks? Were we truly present as guides, offering support and course correction along the way?
The misconception that authority equates to a blame-free zone is a dangerous one. It stifles growth, erodes trust, and ultimately, hinders team success. My pet peeve isn't just about avoiding punishment; it's about embracing a different, more responsible leadership model.
Whenever I see underperformance, my first instinct is to turn the mirror on myself. Did I equip my team with the right tools? Did I create an environment where asking questions and learning from missteps is encouraged? Did I encourage open communication, where roadblocks can be identified and addressed before they derail progress?
Owning our role in team performance, both successes and struggles, allows us to move beyond the blame game and into a space of shared growth. By taking responsibility for our own contributions, we can create a dynamic where mistakes become stepping stones, not stumbling blocks.
Creating a Safe-to-Fail Culture
Building a safe-to-fail culture isn't just about tolerating mistakes; it's about celebrating them as stepping stones to grow. By creating an environment where open discussion and learning from mistakes are encouraged, you unlock your team's full potential.
As a leader, you wield the power to cultivate this environment by:
- Normalizing vulnerability: Encourage open communication around challenges and difficulties. Share your own past failures and how they fueled your learning.
- Focusing on process over outcome: Applaud experimentation and effort, even if the desired result isn't achieved. Shift the emphasis from the "what" to the "how" and "why," learning from the journey, not just the destination.
- Providing constructive feedback: Offer clear, actionable guidance after mistakes, focusing on improvement, not punishment. Avoid blame and instead, partner with your reports to find solutions.
- Celebrating incremental progress: Recognize and reward small wins on the path to bigger goals. This reinforces the value of consistent effort and learning, even when the final outcome is delayed.
- Leading by example: Be willing to take risks and experiment yourself, demonstrating that learning and growth are ongoing processes for everyone, not just your reports.
By implementing these practices, you create a space where your team feels comfortable taking risks, embracing challenges, and learning from every experience. This fertile ground of open communication, supportive feedback, and shared accountability is where innovation and true growth flourish. Remember, a safe-to-fail culture doesn't mean condoning negligence; it means cultivating an environment where failure becomes a tool for progress, not a stigma to be feared.
Approving Work
Remember those days of nervously waiting for someone else's approval on your work? Now, as a manager, the tables have turned. You're the captain at the helm, guiding a team of talented PMs who are closer than ever to the research, customers, and the heart of the problem. But with this newfound responsibility comes a new challenge: empowering your team to excel while maintaining quality.
Gone are the days of solely reviewing polished designs and finished products. But fear not! The best practices you honed as an individual contributor still hold true:
1. Set the North Star:
- Define clear goals and success metrics. What does a "win" look like for your team's project? Make it tangible and measurable.
- Remember, ownership lies with your team. They're the experts, and your role is to provide guidance and support, not dictate every step.
2. Be the Guiding Light:
- Offer feedback based on principles, not preferences. Focus on aligning with the project's goals and overarching strategy, not your personal aesthetic or style.
- Mentor, don't micromanage. Trust your team's expertise, but be available to answer questions, offer suggestions, and help them navigate challenges.
3. Ensure Quality without Stifling Creativity:
- Review work to meet the pre-defined success criteria. Is the solution feasible? Does it address the customer needs? Are the technical specifications sound?
- Maintain open communication and encourage iteration. Feedback should be a collaborative process, not a one-way street.
4. Words Matter, Delivery Matters More:
- Remember, your words carry weight. Be constructive, encouraging, and focused on solutions, not criticisms.
- Delivery is key. Frame your feedback as a conversation, not a judgment. Listen actively and value their insights.
Time To Grow
Don't Isolate Yourself from the Leadership Team
The thought of being a "perfect manager" is alluring when you first step into leadership. You dream of stellar reviews, adoring reports, and shielding them from every bump in the road. But leadership's landscape is complex, and a utopia is a mirage. Building strong relationships with other leaders, not just your team, is crucial for company-wide success. Your accountability ladder flips, with more responsibility towards higher positions than lower ones.
Reality bites when we realize our reports are just one piece of the puzzle. We owe a debt not just to them, but to the entire company. Building strong relationships with other leaders becomes paramount. It's not a betrayal, but a strategic shift. Sometimes, it means asking a report to pivot their work for another leader's project. Sometimes, it means advocating for a company policy we disagree with, not to appease, but to maintain a united front.
Leadership isn't about being the most loved, it's about being the most effective. - Product Girl
This doesn't mean abandoning our reports. It's about finding a healthy balance. We can still be strong advocates, mentors, and confidantes while recognizing the bigger picture. True leadership isn't about being everyone's best friend; it's about navigating the complex landscape of organizational needs, encouraging collaboration, and driving results.
Authenticity Over Power: Keeping It Real
Don't change who you are because you are the boss. Leadership might come with a title, but true influence requires authenticity. Yes, it's important to set healthy boundaries, but there is more to it than that. Altering your true self because you are a manager will chip away at trust faster than a sandcastle at high tide.
When a leader is genuine and approachable, it encourages team members to be honest and forthcoming with their ideas, concerns, and feedback. This openness not only nurtures a positive workplace atmosphere, but also promotes a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. This is because team members look up to leaders who are genuine and relatable. They want to work for someone who has experienced both successes and failures.
Being an authentic leader paves the way for more meaningful mentorship and guidance. When you are genuine and transparent about your own experiences, including the challenges you've faced and the lessons you've learned, it resonates deeply with your team. It empowers them to view their own journeys in a realistic light, recognizing that setbacks are not failures, but stepping stones to growth and learning. This perspective helps to demystify the path to success, making it more accessible and less intimidating. It encourages a mindset where each challenge is seen as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and evolve, both as individuals and as a collective team.
Be mindful of your requests and their impact on progress
As a manager, your decisions guide your team's progress on initiatives. Each call you make, from prioritizing tasks to requesting changes, can either accelerate or decelerate their momentum.
So, before asking for a request, consider the following:
Impact on current workloads: Is your team already juggling multiple deadlines? Adding a new task or iteration could create bottlenecks and delays. Be mindful of how your request fits into their existing workflow and prioritize accordingly.
Value of additional iterations: While refinements can enhance the final outcome, don't chase perfection at the expense of progress. Ask yourself: does the potential improvement justify the delay? Are there alternative ways to achieve similar results without disrupting current projects?
Effective communication and collaboration: Be transparent about the rationale behind your decisions, explain the impact on ongoing work, and involve your team in finding solutions. A collaborative approach leads to better buy-in and minimizes friction.
Final Words 📖
The essence of true leadership transcends the mere execution of tasks or the mastery of managerial techniques. It's about cultivating an environment where your team can flourish, where their successes become your successes, and their growth reflects your effectiveness as a leader. This journey of transformation demands not just a strategic mind but a generous heart, one that is committed to nurturing talent and developing a culture of inclusivity and respect.
As leaders, our words and actions have profound implications. The scenarios presented underscore the importance of thoughtful communication and the impact it has on team dynamics. A leader’s approach can either inspire confidence and openness or create discomfort and silence. It's crucial to strike a balance, encouraging participation in a manner that respects individual comfort levels and promotes a collaborative atmosphere.
Embracing the responsibility of leadership means recognizing the broader impact of our actions and decisions. It involves creating a culture where learning from mistakes is not just accepted but encouraged, a safe-to-fail environment where each setback is a learning opportunity. As leaders, we're not just responsible for directing the course, but also for nurturing an atmosphere of trust, growth, and continuous improvement.
Next Steps 🚀
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- Leadership Is Responsibility, Not Power
- What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Leader
- 6 Essential Leadership Responsibilities that Build Effective Teams