The Leader Within: Shift from Managing to Leading
Are you tired of feeling like you're stuck in a cycle of managing rather than leading? In this episode, we dive into the importance of developing high-performing leadership teams. From identifying common issues in ineffective teams to providing strategies for building strong and cohesive teams, Andrea and Michelle share valuable insights and tips for success.
Highlighting the difference between managing and leading, and the challenges that arise when individuals are promoted into leadership roles without the necessary leadership skills. We provide techniques for developing leadership behaviors, such as self-awareness, delegation, and coaching. Emphasizing the need for leaders to prioritize coaching moments and focus on the growth and development of their team members.
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Expand Your Leadership Skills.
Leadership Development: Grow Your Potential
Is your leadership team actually a team? Is this group driving your organization forward? Or is it merely a collection of individuals?
In the latest episode of The Leadership Hustle podcast, we explore the critical distinction between a high-performing leadership team and a mere "group of people" who are working together. Andrea and Michelle delve into the common pitfalls that hinder collaboration and offer insights into fostering a leadership team that truly excels.
Many leaders find themselves caught in a cycle of tasks, resources management, which leads to neglecting the crucial aspects of true leadership: inspiring, developing, and empowering their teams.
This episode of The Leadership Hustle podcast delves into the common pitfalls that prevent leaders from reaching their full potential and offers practical strategies for making the shift from manager to leader — so you can't avoid these mistakes.
The Management Trap
The terms "manager" and "leader" are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct roles with different focuses.
Managers excel at planning, organizing, and controlling resources, ensuring that tasks are completed efficiently and effectively. Leaders, on the other hand, inspire and motivate their teams, create a shared vision, and foster a culture of growth and development.
Many leaders, particularly those promoted from within, fall into the "management trap" of spending too much time on tasks they are comfortable with or have been previously rewarded for.
Why it Matters?
They may be experts in their field and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing tasks themselves. Additionally, some leaders struggle with delegating due to a desire for control or a belief that they can do it better themselves.
On the flip side, over-managing can have negative consequences. It can lead to burnout for the leader, stifled growth and development for team members, and a lack of innovation within the organization. To truly unleash their leadership potential, leaders must shift their focus from managing tasks to leading people.
Assessing Your Leadership Style
The first step in making this shift is to develop self-awareness. Take an honest look at how you currently spend your time.
Are you constantly putting out fires and responding to emails? Or are you actively coaching your team, providing feedback, and setting a clear vision for the future?
Analyzing Your Tasks
Conducting a time analysis can be a valuable exercise. Track your activities for a week and categorize them as managing, leading, or technical work. This will reveal how much time you're dedicating to each area and help you identify opportunities for improvement.Another approach is to track the questions your team members ask you. Are they seeking answers or guidance? If you find yourself primarily providing solutions, it may be a sign that you need to focus more on coaching and development.
Finally, don't be afraid to ask for feedback from your team, peers, and superiors. They can offer valuable insights into your leadership style and areas where you can improve. By gaining a deeper understanding of your current habits and behaviors, you can identify the specific areas where you need to shift your focus from managing to leading.
Practical Tips for Shifting from Managing to Leading: Boosting Your Leadership Potential
Once you've identified the need for change, it's time to take action. Here are some practical strategies for unleashing your leadership potential and empowering your team:
Delegate Effectively: Identify tasks that can be handled by others and empower your team members to take ownership. Provide clear expectations, offer support and guidance, and trust them to deliver results.
Focus on Coaching and Development: Invest time in coaching your team members, providing feedback, and helping them grow their skills. This not only benefits them individually but also strengthens the overall capabilities of your team.
Create a Culture of Learning: Encourage continuous learning and improvement by providing opportunities for training, development, and knowledge sharing. Foster an environment where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities and innovation is celebrated.
Build Relationships: Get to know your team members on a personal level, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and build trust and rapport. This will enable you to support them better and motivate them.
Inspire and Set a Vision: Share your vision for the future and inspire your team to work towards a common goal. Provide clear direction and guidance, but also empower your team to contribute their ideas and perspectives.
By implementing these strategies, you can transform your leadership style and create a high-performing team that is engaged, motivated, and committed to achieving exceptional results. Remember, effective leadership is not about controlling every detail but about empowering others to reach their full potential.
Start Leading Today
The journey from manager to leader is a continuous process of growth and development. By recognizing the pitfalls of over-managing, developing self-awareness, and implementing effective leadership strategies, you can unleash your full potential and create a thriving team.
Remember, effective leadership is about inspiring and empowering others, not just managing tasks. By shifting your focus from managing to leading, you can achieve extraordinary results for both yourself and your organization.
For further insights and actionable advice on developing your leadership skills, be sure to listen to the full episode of The Leadership Hustle. And if you're ready to take your leadership journey to the next level, explore Revela Group's leadership development resources and coaching services.
We're here to help you unlock your full potential and lead with confidence.
About the Hosts
Andrea Fredrickson
Andrea Fredrickson is a thought leader and consultant at Revela, an organization based in Omaha, Nebraska specializing in the development of leaders, culture alignment, and business strategy for private and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness. Andrea has built an amazing team by believing that fundamentally people want to be successful and become better versions of themselves.
Michelle Hill
Michelle Hill is a master facilitator and coach at Revela, an organization specializing in the development of leaders and aligning the culture of privately held and family businesses of all sizes. Revela is one of the region's most experienced thought challengers, helping individuals and companies find their greatness.
TRANSCRIPT
Andrea Fredrickson: In this episode of The Leadership Hustle, we are going to bring awareness about the fact that most people in a leadership role are spending more time managing and leading, and we'll give you techniques on how to help them overcome that. Hello and welcome to the Leadership Hustle for executives whose companies are growing fast and need leaders who are ready. Hey, welcome back to this episode of The Leadership Hustle. I'm Andrea Frederickson. And I'm Michelle Hill. And we're back together again doing another episode today. Oh my gosh, today. Today we're doing an episode on unleashing the leader within. And I was just talking to a group this morning about this topic because people get promoted from being doing really good work into a role where they're supposed to lead. So just to clarify and and keep everybody on the same page, we believe that managers manage, manage resources, people, time, equipment, schedules, information. So there's a manager of those things, right. The leader leadership behaviors are coaching and developing and challenging and asking good questions and inspiring inspiring people.