Dear Madeleine,
I was recently promoted from team lead to manager of a whole department. I am very good at the processes and systems piece, but worry that I am lacking the leadership piece.
I have a ton of books and have taken several courses, but now I am overwhelmed. If I were to work on just a few things this year to be a better leader, what should they be?
New Leader
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Dear New Leader,
It is overwhelming, isn’t it? I guess this makes sense, since becoming the best leader you can be is a lifelong endeavor. It is good that you have mastered the systems and process piece, because anything you decide to implement to be a great leader will become a part of those.
The question is always where to begin. It is tricky for me to try to tell you, because I don’t know what your strengths are or what needs work. I can only proceed with some of the qualities and behaviors that come up again and again when people talk about great leaders they’ve had, and recommend that you pick one or two to start with and go from there. You will have to define for yourself what it means to be a good leader and then build your skills and habits to reflect that. I define a leader as “one whom others choose to follow,” and that can mean so many different things.
- Make sure everyone who works for you knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing, what a good job looks like, and what their priorities are. This sounds so obvious, but it is shocking how many people don’t really know what is expected of them at work.
- Remember that you are the weather system for your department. Practice self-regulation to be consistent; don’t let your moods dictate how you respond to people. Your direct reports shouldn’t have to constantly observe you to figure out how to navigate how you are feeling at any given time.
- Be fair. You will like some people more than others, but you can’t play favorites. Apply the same rules and values in the same way across the board.
- Pay attention to people’s strengths and weaknesses so that you can vary their workload. Some things should be easy and fun, and others should provide a challenge.
- When someone screws up, be kind, resist placing blame, and get to the bottom of where things went off track. Take full responsibility even if you think it wasn’t your fault. It will make your people feel like you have their back, and they will be more likely to come to you in the future before a mistake is made.
- Build relationships with your peers and stay connected with everything that is going on in your organization so that you can be strategic when you need to. Pay attention to what others in your industry are doing so that you can keep your eye on the bigger picture.
- Ask for feedback—what you can do more of, less of, or start or stop doing. Listen carefully when you get feedback, ask for more detail if you don’t understand it, or simply say thank you. You don’t always have to act on it, but at least you will know what works and doesn’t work, and with whom.
- Tell the truth. I don’t mean you have to be brutally honest all the time, but don’t pretend someone has done a good job when they haven’t. Point out what worked, what didn’t, and how it can be improved upon. Don’t make promises you can’t or don’t intend to keep. And if you aren’t sure what to say, don’t say anything. It is impossible to take back something you wish you hadn’t said, but often possible to loop back around and say something you wish you had.
- Be trustworthy: do your best, don’t gossip, pay attention to people, and show you care by being responsive and following up. It is much harder to regain trust once you have lost it, so do everything you can to build and maintain it. And this is hard, but try to remember to take nothing personally.
These are just a few ideas plucked out of a massive body of leadership research. Don’t try to implement all of these at once. Start with one that feels manageable and see how it goes. If you aren’t sure, just choose one at random.
You’ll get really good at one of these leadership dimensions, and then things will get more complex and you will have a chance to revisit and refine. It will feel never ending, because—it is. Good luck on your leadership journey!
Love, Madeleine
About Madeleine
Madeleine Homan Blanchard is a master certified coach, author, speaker, and cofounder of Blanchard Coaching Services as well as a key facilitator of Blanchard’s Leadership Coach Certification course. Madeleine’s Advice for the Well Intentioned Manager is a regular Saturday feature for a very select group: well intentioned managers. Leadership is hard—and the more you care, the harder it gets. Join us here each week for insight, resources, and conversation.
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