Capable people often get promoted because they are technically very good at their job. They move through an organisation gaining new and additional skills, becoming an expert in what they do. The reward is to be promoted, and that’s likely to involve managing a group of people, or groups of functions. Technical skills are no longer sufficient and new skills are needed. Suddenly it's all about succeeding through others; finding ways to influence and motivate people to do things that you can’t control.
In my coaching work, I frequently hear from people who are grappling with becoming an effective leader. Their direct style may be offending people. They may be drowning in detail as they keep stepping in to get the job done, because others aren't doing it properly, and aren't accepting responsibility. Or their ideas aren't being listened to, and they're frustrated at their inability to have the impact they'd hoped for. Each of these scenarios demand careful analysis which may lead to a new and different approach.
Hermina Ibarra, a leading academic has recently written about the “Leadership Odyssey” recognising that becoming a good leader is likely to be a long and difficult journey. She outlines three phases of development:
The first is for the leader to become aware and develop a real desire to change. They may start to experiment with different behaviours, with some success, but also find themselves frustrated by reverting to old ways whenever they're under pressure.
The second phase involves learning, practising, and embedding new behaviours. It also requires learning from mistakes.
The third phase is to consolidate learning so that the new behaviour becomes embedded, an automatic, or unconscious reaction.
Much has been written about tools and techniques to help with this journey. As far back as 1969, Chapman described four stages of competence, moving from unconscious incompetence, through conscious incompetence, to conscious competence and finally unconscious competence.
More recently, Carol Kaufman and David Noble in their book, “Real Time Leadership” identified the need for leaders to have options, four ways of being, in any situation, rather than opting automatically for their preferred approach.
Consolidating learning might include reflecting in a journal; taking time to think through what’s happened during the day, or using a third party, a coach, or a mentor as a thinking partner.
References:
Noble, D. & Kauffman, C. (2023). “Real-Time Leadership. Find your winning moves when the stakes are high”. Harvard Business School Press, USA.
Ibarra, H., Hildebrand, C. A., & Vinck, S. (2023). “The Leadership Odyssey. It’s not easy to become less directive and more empowering. Here’s how to navigate the challenges”. Harvard Business Review magazine. May- June.