Leadership Excellence Presented By March 2020

Leadership Excellence Presented By Hrcom March 2020 29 Submit Y

Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com MARCH Submit Your Articles One of the biggest challenges we see new first-time managers come up against is changing their mindset when they first take on their new role. As an individual contributor, they were mostly concerned about their own performance and success. As a Manager, they now need to shift their thinking to help other people succeed. And not just their direct reports, but also those who contribute to their team’s success, such as internal and external suppliers to their team. It’s not an easy shift, because we become habituated in our thinking.

So, it’s really about changing our focus and habits. How do we do that? It takes effort, but it’s worth it. We decided to put together a list of things to do, ten in total, to help you achieve that mindset change. Here they are: Avoid the Expert Syndrome Your role as a manager is to help other people succeed. When they succeed, you succeed. Many first-time managers make the mistake of thinking that they are the manager because they are the most accomplished person on the team - they are the expert. This is the biggest mistake I see new managers make. Action: You need to give away your expertise. By consciously selecting what we want to focus upon, and what new habits we want to develop.

FEATURE Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com MARCH Submit Your Articles It’s Not About You, It’s About Them Your first duty as a manager is to better understand your team members – their goals, career aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses. Even their fears. This also applies to a better understanding of your own manager. Actions: 1) Help your team succeed by focusing on their professional and personal development. 2) Seek to understand your manager.

Don’t Try This Alone Gone are the days when managers worked out what needed to be done, by whom and by when, and then gave out the orders. Times have changed and people expect to be included in the planning of their work. They also have higher expectations when it comes to greater freedom in how they do their work. You need to be able to balance the need to get work done safely, on time and on budget with these new expectations. Action: Develop collaborative based planning, problem-solving and decision-making processes.

Delegate to Coach When you engage in collaborative planning, you will discover many opportunities to delegate tasks to your team members which will stretch them. They need your support in developing the competencies to perform these tasks. That’s where your role as a coach plays a big part in their success and also yours. Action: Learn the skills of coaching. Build Up Your EQ Muscles Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is just as vital as General Intelligence (IQ). It’s now a well-established fact that how you manage your emotions plays a vital role in how you build strong relationships. EQ is not about becoming “softer†in how you handle interactions with others, especially in emotionally intense situations. It’s about stopping your emotions from taking control of your behaviors. Actions: 1) Learn more about E.Q. 2) When faced with intense emotions, say “I can’t help feeling the way I feel right now, but I can choose how I will respond.†Live Your Beliefs and Values Organizations have core beliefs and values, so do you. As a manager, there will come a time when you will need to defend your team. This is when your core beliefs and values will be put to the test. If you back away from such confrontations, you will lose the respect of your team and also your fellow managers, and probably even your own manager. This does not mean defending the indefensible. When a team member commits an offense, you have to be the first person to call it and deal with it. Action: Do the internal work to discover your core beliefs and values, especially as they apply to your role as a manager in helping other people be successful. 10 Golden Rules For Managerial Success Leadership Excellence presented by HR.com MARCH Submit Your Articles Brian Ward is a management consultant, trainer, coach and co-founder of Affinity Consulting and Training (ACT), involved in strategy development, leadership development and team development. He is also founder of The Management4M, the online resource dedicated to the development of new, first-time managers and leaders. Would you like to comment? Find Good Role Models Research has shown that we learn most from watching others perform. The same is true of learning to manage and lead. The three core processes of daily management are planning, directing/delegating and coaching. Other managers have taken the same learning journey as you, and many of them can be good role models for you to learn from. Action: Find good role models to learn from for planning, directing/ delegating and coaching. Find a Mentor A mentor is uniquely positioned to help you progress in your career as a manager. Their role is to provide you with emotional and psychological support on your journey. In addition, a mentor will help you see the bigger picture and not get trapped in the minutiae of day to day organizational dramas. Action: Find a mentor who is willing and able to support you. Seek Out Mastery Experiences Every managerial position has limitations in terms of time and resources. While you will need to develop many competencies, you will not always have the opportunity to practice them “on-the-jobâ€. That’s where, working with your manager and mentor, you can identify opportunities where you can step away from your day to day duties and perform roles that will broaden and deepen your skills. These could be special assignments, volunteer opportunities and even shadowing a more experienced manager. Action: Talk with your manager about your development and craft a personal learning plan with the support of your manager. Solicit and Act Upon Feedback Without feedback, you won’t know if you are improving. Leadership 360 feedback systems have matured to such an extent that now they are an indispensable tool in your management toolbox. Keep in mind that your manager, staff, and others want to help you improve, so take advantage of that willingness by providing them with the opportunity to support you on your journey. Action: Seek 360 feedback You Don’t Need to Do It Alone You have assets and resources available to you if you just ask. So many first-time managers simply don’t get the training they need to succeed, and as a consequence, the majority fail at reaching their true potential as a manager and leader. Don’t make that mistake.

Paper For Above instruction

Leadership excellence is a vital component for organizational success, especially in the context of first-time managers transitioning from individual contributors to effective leaders. This transition demands a significant shift in mindset, habits, and skills to foster a leadership style that emphasizes support, development, and strategic thinking rather than mere technical expertise or task management. The core principles outlined by Brian Ward in his article on the "10 Golden Rules for Managerial Success" serve as an essential guide for new managers seeking to develop leadership competence and excel in their roles.

The first rule, avoiding the "Expert Syndrome," underscores the importance of relinquishing the urge to be the most accomplished individual on the team. Instead, managers should focus on empowering team members by sharing their expertise judiciously and fostering a collaborative environment. Building on this, understanding the team members' goals, strengths, weaknesses, and fears is paramount. A manager must prioritize the professional and personal development of employees while also seeking to understand their own manager's expectations and style (Goleman, 1998). This understanding facilitates better communication, alignment, and mutual support, creating a cohesive and motivated team.

Modern management has shifted away from authoritarian command-and-control practices towards collaborative planning, problem-solving, and decision-making processes. Engaging team members in these activities promotes buy-in, increases motivation, and enhances problem-solving capabilities (Lencioni, 2002). Delegating tasks effectively also involves coaching—helping team members develop competencies through ongoing support rather than mere instructions. This coaching approach aligns with the emphasis on emotional intelligence (EQ), which is widely recognized as crucial for effective leadership (Goleman, 1995). Building emotional intelligence involves self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills—all of which contribute to managing relationships and navigating emotionally charged situations skillfully (Mayer & Salovey, 1997).

Living one’s values and beliefs authentically enhances credibility and builds trust within teams. Leaders who demonstrate integrity and stand firm on core beliefs tend to earn respect and loyalty from their teams (Kouzes & Posner, 2002). When faced with conflicts or challenging situations, defending the team through principled decision-making is essential for maintaining respect and credibility. Self-awareness of core values enables managers to act consistently, reinforce organizational culture, and serve as role models for ethical behavior.

Developing as a manager also involves learning from others through mentorship and role modeling. Observational learning from experienced leaders accelerates skill development in planning, delegation, and coaching. The importance of seeking mentorship and participating in mastery experiences—such as special projects or shadowing—is widely supported in leadership development literature (Kram, 1985). Feedback mechanisms, particularly 360-degree feedback, provide critical insights into performance and areas for improvement, fostering continuous growth (London, 2003).

Furthermore, the article reminds managers of the importance of leveraging available resources and support systems. First-time managers often feel isolated or unprepared; hence, seeking training, feedback, mentorship, and peer support is essential for success. Organizations must foster a culture where support and development are prioritized to cultivate effective future leaders. The overall message emphasizes that leadership competence is not innate but developed through intentional effort, reflection, and continuous learning (Drucker, 2001).

In conclusion, transitioning from an individual contributor to a manager requires adopting a mindset focused on development, collaboration, emotional intelligence, and core values. By following the golden rules outlined by Brian Ward and continuously improving through learning, feedback, and mentorship, aspiring leaders can effectively navigate the challenges of management and achieve long-term success for themselves and their teams.

References

• Drucker, P. F. (2001). The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker’s Essential Writings on Management. HarperBusiness.
• Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.
• Goleman, D. (1998). Working with Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.
• Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2002). The Leadership Challenge: How to Keep Getting Extraordinary Things Done in Organizations. Jossey-Bass.
• Kram, K. E. (1985). Mentoring at Work: Developmental Relationships in Organizational Life. Scott, Foresman.
• Lencioni, P. (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable. Jossey-Bass.
• London, M. (2003). Job Feedback: Giving, Seeking, and Using Feedback for Performance Improvement. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Mayer, J. D., & Salovey, P. (1997). What is Emotional Intelligence? In P. Salovey & D. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional Development and Emotional Intelligence: Educational Implications. Basic Books.