What does it take to be a great leader?
One of the main reasons people leave their jobs is because they have a bad manager. Many people choose to divorce and leave the business. There are also those who choose to stay in a bad marriage despite being unhappy with their manager, you grit your teeth. They hold out in anticipation of, for example, a new manager joining or retiring. This can have major consequences for the business, and is often evident when it comes to presentations and the number of people on sick leave in an organization.
When we know that bad managers are the cause of people quitting their jobs, calling in sick and underperforming at work, we must consider this a serious problem that businesses should take seriously. There are far too many bad leaders out there. The potential of developing great leaders is therefore huge. By investing in leaders, companies not only take better care of their employees, they also create an environment where employees perform better," says Mats Kristensen of FRONT Leadership.
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How do you go from being a bad leader to a great leader?
Kristensen believes that there is an overarching reason why managers can be characterized as poor leaders. "Most people become a manager after succeeding as a professional, but far too few also succeed as a leader.
I've spoken to hundreds of HR professionals over the years and they all say the same thing. It's so logical and obvious, yet we see this in many organizations. People who are good at their profession and have worked for a few years are often promoted to managers. No one knows their profession better than them, and they have strong ties to their workplace. These are great qualities, but what many people don't realize is that the job content of a manager is significantly different from the job content of a professional. It's well known that practice makes perfect, so if the professional is to succeed as a manager, leadership training should be an important element of the working day," Kristensen continues.
The most important difference for a professional moving into a leadership role is the focus away from their own performance in the profession and towards the wellbeing, collaboration and performance of their employees. You go from being the "best on the field" to standing on the sidelines and leading the team. The profession these specialists come from has often been something that has taken years to study and specialize in. Yet leadership is expected to be something the professional should know intuitively, without having studied it or trained in advance.
They are thrown into deep water, and this is where we make a difference and are the lifebuoy that keeps you from sinking. But it's not enough just to stay afloat, you also need to learn how to swim to get ahead - and that can take some time. However, there are some overarching qualities that are essential on the road to becoming a great leader; being humble, willing to learn and involving others in the process. "Becoming a great leader doesn't happen in a vacuum, it's a team effort," Kristensen explains.
Mats Kristensen, Managing Partner & Co-founder at FRONT Leadership
The idea that "everyone deserves a great manager" drives us and is part of the commitment we work towards in all our projects. When people spend 8 hours - and often more of their time - every day at work, the least you can expect is to have a great manager who treats you well. Life is too short to accept a mediocre manager," Kristensen concludes.
Want to read more about leadership? Read more Be who you want others to be - "lead by example"