Rising in ranks in the workplace to a position of power like a manager is not an easy thing. For some people, it takes years of hard work to reach such a position. So, what happens after you become a manager? Normally, the work does not end there. In order to succeed as a manager, you have to be a good leader. This means that a transition from manager to leader is necessary. It is a critical transition in your professional development. Klara, a professional platform, provides tips for comprehensive leader development.
Essential changes you can make to shift from a manager to a leader
There are several things that are expected of managers. However, the shift from manager to leader requires essential shifts in the way you do things. Below are five shifts you can make to support your transition from manager to leader:
Inspire people instead of managing them
One of the key roles of a manager is coordinating tasks and managing how people do them in order to make sure the tasks are completed. However, if you want to transition into a leader, you have to change the way you do things. Instead of managing tasks, a leader inspires people. A leader focuses on the people behind the tasks. By making sure the people understand their roles and how important these roles are, a leader can inspire them into doing a better job. Inspiring people will eliminate the need for constant oversight and micromanagement. To make the shift from managing tasks to inspiring people, you can build relationships with the individuals, connect with them, ask questions, and provide an atmosphere of trust, mutual respect, appreciation, and guidance.
Embrace coaching instead of directing
Transitioning from directing to coaching is another way to shift from a manager to a leader. Instead of directing teams by assigning them tasks, how they do them, and monitor their progress, a leader’s role is coaching. Coaching involves guiding team members to discover their potential and work independently.
Stop being a problem-solver, instead set agendas and allow independent problem-solving
A manager’s role is to solve problems when they come up. However, a leader’s role is to encourage independent problem-solving among teams. It is also to define problems and set priorities for issues that need to be tackled first.
Focus on the growth of employees and your own instead of just the companies
A manager’s primary role is to make sure the goals of a company are met and that a company can experience growth. In fact, most companies encourage their managerial staff to focus on the growth and success of their organization first. If you want to transition into a leader, you have to divert some of the focus to yourself and your staff. Your goal should be to foster the growth of the entire team, including yourself. From growth in mindset to growth in skills and personal development, if it starts with the leader, it can easily trickle down to the rest of the team.
Do away with the norms and take different perspectives
If you want to become a leader, you have to adapt to different ways of doing things. Instead of doing things the normal way, you should take a step back and look at how you can take different perspectives to achieve a bigger picture. This means that you firstly need to have a bigger picture. For instance, instead of just getting the job done, the bigger picture can be dominating the sector or increasing profits. With this in mind, you can come up with unique ideas that will allow you to see and utilize the potential of your entire staff.
Instead of just talking, learn to listen
A terrible habit that most managers have is always talking instead of listening. However, if you want to become a leader, you have to walk away from this habit. You have to become an active listener. When you give your teams a chance to share their ideas and learn to listen, you will realize that they may have some pretty good and helpful ideas. A leader listens to what their team has to say. However, a good leader should also be good at communicating. You should master skills like articulation and be good at explaining your vision and using the right words. In the workplace, miscommunication can result in a host of issues that may affect your leadership and hinder you from achieving certain goals.
Do not be comfortable, instead seek new skills often
Do not settle in your comfort zone. Once you become a manager, you should aim higher. If you want to make the shift to a leader, you should keep learning new things. For instance, you can take courses that will equip you with the latest managerial skills and techniques, technologies used in your sector, and more. This information will help you command respect and keep up with the ever-evolving corporate sector.
Conclusion
The words leader and manager are often used synonymously. However, these are two distinct roles. A manager usually deals with day-to-day operational duties at an organization. On the other hand, a leader focuses on long-term vision and strategy. As a manager, if you want to achieve professional development, your focus should be to become a leader. The tips on this post will help you do so.
