Tis the season for promotions. Firms are pleased to announce their newest partners or executive directors, and the recipients are rightly excited to receive the recognition.
But now what? For many, the excitement of promotion will turn to frustration, disappointment, and self-doubt as the new leadership role turns out to be something for which they are unprepared and unsupported.
It’s not what they expected. Promotion previously was a step along the path as recognition for greater technical expertise, but now the step up to leadership is a whole ne w role. It demands different skills beyond technical ability, and without the right support, even the best performers can flounder. Sometimes they think they’re doing a great job when they’re not, and it’s the team that suffers. Some begin to question whether they’re in the right job. Others charge ahead, making waves along the way. Firms are often shocked to see their brightest prospects declining in confidence and performance in their new role...
The upshot is a leader who’s not leading. The leader feels out of their depth and the team becomes dysfunctional as everyone works to their own rhythm, priorities aren’t aligned, and people’s strengths aren’t used to best advantage. It’s chaotic and motivation falls. Self-doubt sets in, and the leader is left considering their options.
All this can be avoided if firms make it clear to new leaders exactly what is expected at the new level they’re reaching and how those expectations change from their previous level. In addition to these documented requirements, mentoring and training will help the new leaders meet them. All this is provided for graduates when they arrive in their new position with onboarding, training, and assigned buddies. Emerging and senior leaders, however, are often on their own. Or the mentor provided is someone who may not understand the intricacies and nuances of leadership in today’s competitive market, changing technology, and a workplace culture encompassing five generations.
Many firms take the view that they need to give the new leaders 12 months to settle into their role and work it out. Some people, of course, do brilliantly, depending on their attributes, strengths, and what they may have learned along the way. Thus, it’s not surprising so many take the view that leaders are born, not made. But leadership is a skill that can be learned, like most others.
Along with policies, firms need to make sure they have clear career pathways, development plans, and position expectations that extend to leadership positions. And the support for those senior positions should start at Day One, or earlier, so leaders know what the job is and what they need to be to do it successfully. They need to be provided with the tools to do the job, and this includes training, systems and people, with regular reports and feedback on KPIs, as well as a mentor, a sounding board to go to for advice.
If firms take the view that leaders are made, not born, they will have great leaders who lead productive teams. And then promotion isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.
