Photo By Michael J

Early in my corporate career, I read something in a management book about the first thing a new manager should do is fire someone.  I decided that sounded cruel and capricious, which wasn’t who I wanted to be.   As it turned out, nearly every time I took a new management position, someone left within the first couple of weeks, either because I did fire them or I made it clear that sticking around wouldn’t be beneficial.  I got the nickname “hatchet woman.”   But really, did we need the arrogant PhD who showed up to work inconsistently, called his wife his “adminstrative assistant,” refused to answer his own cell phone, and was delivering a goat in his barn on the day that he was supposed to be demonstrating his new software to the executives at our Fortune 500 client?  His software didn’t even work.

Even though there is nothing like pruning the dead branches to perk up the rest of the group, I’m still horrified that was a management tactic.  Which brings me to the top 5 mistakes new (and not so new leaders make):

Mistake #1:  Winging it alone  – There is no leadership pipeline in most companies anymore.  Organizations are flatter which means that there is less opportunity to observe effective leadership.  Training budgets were one thing that never recovered after the post-9/11 downturn.  So, the place most new leaders learn about leadership is from books.  The challenge – who has time to read them?

Solution:  Invest in yourself and your development.  You are your best investment if you think about it.  As you move up in your career, you can expect to see annual returns of anywhere between 3%-20% depending on the year.  Not surprisingly, I recommend that you invest in a coach because coaches work on your professional presence as well as leadership skills.  When you work with a coach what you learn becomes a part of your behavior and eventually becomes a habit.  How about that for building your best you?

Mistake #2:  Reading something in a management book and taking it as gospel -  One of the first things we learn in our coaching training is that the client has all the answers.  When people give advice, it is based on their past experiences and their own filters which may or may not be appropriate to your situation.  Think back over the past month to all the well-meaning people who gave you advice.  How often was it right?

The same goes for the advice in the management books.  They don’t know your company’s culture, and they don’t know your boss.  The principles are usually sound, however the practicalities of applying them can be a challenge.

Solution:  Read the books, expand your knowledge base, and apply what makes sense.  Find a mentor in your organization whom you can trust, whose values align with yours and who is willing to show you the ropes.  Or, you could hire a coach.  Seriously, I’m not trying to be self-serving.  We bridge the gap between specialists and leaders.

Mistake #3:  Inaction – No one respects a manager who avoids problems and confrontation.

One of my friends recently took on and subsequently left a new management role.  The first thing her new manager wanted her to do was to fire a well-liked, yet under-performing employee.  Having to do someone else’s dirty work for them is a significant withdrawal from the respect bank.

Solution: If you find yourself paralyzed, find a quiet place and figure out why.  Open your mind and look at the possibilities.  Are you making assumptions about the outcome?  Are you taking responsibility for someone else’s response?  How can you make it less unpleasant?  We coaches not only help you in the discovery process, we also support you as you take action out of you comfort zone and celebrate with you when you’ve “felt the fear and done it anyway.” (quote from Susan Jeffers)

Mistake #4:  Too much action – Running around making changes just for the sake of making changes or flexing the newly developed power muscle is a fast and easy way to destroy credibility, and almost everyone sees it for what it is anyway.

Solution:  Make the decisions and actions that are important and urgent.  Also, make them based on your own best judgment, from your conversations and your experience.  I had a direct report once who came to me on a performance plan, and my manager wanted me to get rid of him.  I felt in my gut that this was a mistake, and with a little time, attention, coaching, and success, he turned out to be one of the best performers in the group, receiving a large raise and promotion that year.

Mistake #5:  Lack of Confidence  – You ask, how is this a mistake?  Isn’t it just a state of mind?

Yes, this is a mistake, because you can build your confidence ahead of time, and you can avoid the nasty behaviors that it brings out.  Always having to be right and blaming others for your mistakes/ommissions/non-reponsiveness is a symptom.  Another is being a complete automaton because heaven forbid someone think you have compassion, empathy or a real feeling.  Hiding out and avoiding conflict is another symptom.

Solution:  If you’re feeling in over your head, find out why.   Where are you now?  Where do you want to be?  What’s the gap?  What do you need to do to bridge that gap and what’s the priority?  Statr now and take some action, then acknowledge your successes however small.  Action and reinforcement of positive outcomes are two great ways to build confidence.

Be Your Best Self Today,

Carolann

p.s. – Building great leaders who create environments that people love to work in is one thing I love to do.  If that’s who you want to be and how you want to show up for other people, I can help.  Contact me for a Complimentary Consultation to see whether partnering with me is the logical next step for you.