Being a leader versus being a manager. It is a great topic and a key discussion to have as you challenge seasoned managers and directors to take make a shift that the organization needs them to make. But many of the relational needs people have are best done by managers – and even the CEO needs to wear that hat on occassion.
Learning takes energy. Here are the numbers any leader or follower should think about before they start asking for or embarking on personal change. Talent management is about all of these AND the conversation that follows. Your next talent management strategy or leadership development key note address should probably include all of these numbers.
Why were you selected for a new leadership role? Simple question, and yet critical in aligning the right people with a situation and creating an effective transition plan. Based on David Baker’s book, Managing Right – For The First Time, this is a question all leaders should ask, when hiring or being hired. Talent Management is about great conversations, and this question is a cornerstone of a great talent management conversation.
David Baker wrote a book to help new managers make their transition successful. As I read Managing Right For The First Time in preparation for writing a review, I will share things that make me go Hmmmm. Some thoughts are around leadership development, while some are just about self awareness or individual development. This is about starting your development before you lead.
Most learning is free. The challenge is slowing down long enough to recognize it or to be purposeful about finding a friend to help process it and make the new knowledge a habit. Here are some tips about talent management of ourselves as leaders. Included is a Talent Scorecard to help you see where your own habits as a leader need to be built.
Resilience and leadership starts with an awareness of self, and gets done with a practice of coaching ourselves when we feel our perceptions taking over. We have to rely on our instincts, but we cannot lead effectively if the people we have to trust feel like we are not listening to them. Here is a coaching example of resilience and building trust.
Leadership and accountability is a double edged sword. Accountability is too often used around revolutionary or punitive rhetoric. Be careful, because it is a powerful word and it can result in some very distructive actions. Talent management has to have accountabiity to work, but it starts with a great conversation and a strong relationship.
Safety around water is important because the risk is real, and a drowning victim has a name. This lesson hit me during a recent swimming lesson, and it has application in leadership development. What do new leaders need? A lifeguard of sorts – called leadership development, an on-boarding plan, or a mentor.
Leadership is challenging. One challenge is creating a safe place for conversations and still have boundaries when problems come to you that are beyond what you can help solve. The formal name is Employee Assistance Program, but another good name is Leadership Assistance Program.
Performance. Accountability. Terms used often in organizations and yet our actions as leaders send a message that our job is to fix people. A leaders job is to care for people and give them an opportunity to join the discussion.
In part one I labelled an unsupported leadership transition as MEAN. This is the second post where I outline some simple things a leader can do to lower the chance of failure for a new leader to their team. This is a guest post on Mary Jo Asmus’ site, an excellent coach and a friend.
What is the cost of a figure it out development plan for new leaders? There is research that suggests a 40% failure rate in leadership transitions and the costs are high and understood. But there is also a real cost to the individual. I would also argue that with all this knowledge, it MEAN. Here is the first part of my argument.