Why you Don't Need to be "Good" to be a Leader
Truth bomb: The same skills that got you promoted are NOT the same skills you need to be a great leader.
A funny thing happens in most organizations. Of the pool of individual contributors, the best ones are selected for promotions. Eventually the promotion leads to managing people. Even if you were the BEST at your job, you’re now being asked not to do it anymore. I’ve heard this stage be called many things including, but not limited to: leveling up, stepping up, and the circle of suck.
Many of us will identify most with “circle of suck” because we usually try to do everything we did in our old role PLUS become a manager of others. It doesn’t work. And even if you’re some kind of productivity wizard, it won’t be sustainable for very long.
Here’s how you can start thinking about how being “good” at your job is necessary to be a great leader:
Accept that you have a new job - When we used to be really good at our former job, we likely assigned at least some of our personal value to it, and so when we’re in a new role, and have to do different tasks that we’re not yet good at, it feels bad, hence the “circle of suck.” Accept that almost all of the things you need to do and learn to be good at this new role is equivalent to starting a whole new job. As much as possible, give yourself grace and compassion while you’re learning something new.
Shift to a Teacher Mindset - The faster you learn how to effectively teach others how to do your job well, the faster you’ll get promoted and become a leader. This used to be one of my mantras when I worked in the corporate world. Focus your attention less on doing and way more on how to get others to do well. At first, it might feel like you’re not doing anything or never “working” on your own projects. This is how it’s supposed to be. If your wider team is productive and making impact, you’re doing it right. Your individual contributions are way less important at this stage.
Learn to Release Attachment - When we’ve mastered how to do certain tasks or our job really well, it’s difficult to hand a blank slate to someone else, and trust that it will get done according to your standard. It’s important to still have standards. Instead of making something high-quality, you have to communicate as clearly as you possibly can what high-quality looks and feels like. This is your new work, and it will likely require a fair amount of non-attachment practice. Remember that whatever outcome is produced, it is SEPARATE from your value as a human. Maybe it seems silly to think that we would’ve connected them before, but we all do it.
We have to learn how to release the idea of being “good” at our jobs in order to step into the role of leadership because leaders “do” less and empower others more.
I help my clients learn how to transition into promotions or a new role so they can make more impact at work in less time without stress and anxiety. Send me a message on the “Contact” page to set up a free consultation call to see if this work is right for you.