My Shift from Babysitter to Leader in 5 Steps
When I was 28 and 6 months into my first supervisory job, I had lunch with a mentor. He asked how I was doing and I shared how bored I was. There was a lot to learn and a lot of work. I told him I was staying on top of things yet it wasn’t very interesting to me. Tact wasn’t Bill’s strong suit, but his reply changed my life:
“That’s because all you’re doing is babysitting that job!”
He explained that I was making sure I handled the day-to-day work, but I hadn’t taken stock of what the needs and opportunities were in that branch. He said, flat out: “You’re not leading.” That spun my head around and it never settled back the old way.
My lifelong interest in leadership was sparked when I began to understand that the manager 'maintains' while the leader 'develops.'
Since then, I’ve heard many managers and executives describe how they’re trying to do the operational work of their organizations - but long-standing practices get in the way. When two or more of them are present, this has sometimes become a grousing session. So, I ask if they have taken a comprehensive approach to creating change.
Most often, I’m met with blank stares or explanations of why things are as they are.
Here are five steps to strong leadership that have served me well throughout my career:
Evaluate the existing state: Assess the current state of your organization or team. What are the strengths and weaknesses? What are the biggest challenges you face?
Envision the opportunities: Identify areas where there is potential for growth or improvement. What new initiatives could you undertake?
Assess what's most important and feasible: Narrow down your list of opportunities to the ones that are most important. Which are likely to have the most impact and be feasible given your resources and constraints?
Recommend changes that will deliver the most value: Develop a plan for how to achieve your top priorities. Who will be responsible for each task? Be sure to engage your team in creating this plan. Identify whom you need to lobby for the change and how to present the strongest business case to them.
Shepherd people through a change process to the new state: Communicate clearly with your team about what's changing and why. Provide the support and resources they need to make the transition. Recognize that change takes time and you need to guide it to completion.
The real work of leadership lies in helping organizations evolve and grow.
Before that lunch with my mentor, I was doing none of this. Since then, I’ve never stopped leading. I've used the steps above to evaluate my team's processes and remove bottlenecks, identify new market opportunities and pursue them, and create thriving organizations.
How are you moving your organization to new heights? What strategy do you create with or share with your team that inspires them to follow? How do you work together to unleash their ideas and passion for implementation?
Great leaders bring challenge and fun to the work – for themselves and the team!
And that’s The Gist of It™ - a quick read with an actionable tip to increase your leadership success.
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Marilyn Gist, PhD