People who achieve outstanding results in their fields are, theoretically, ideal promotion candidates. In practise, however, these outstanding employees keep being promoted to managerial roles without the necessary preparation, and soon discover that work of a manager is considerably different to that which they have done up until that point, even if they stay in their existing team. If you want your outstanding employees to become outstanding leaders, follow the recommendations below, as published by Forbes.com.
1. Recognize the different skills required
While a specialist position primarily requires thorough knowledge of one’s field and an ability to work independently, a leader must know how to rely on others, while inspiring them to harness their personal potential, on the one hand, and teamwork capabilities, on the other, to the maximum.
2. Prepare potential leaders for their new roles
Before you decide to promote them, assign leadership roles to specialists intended for managerial positions, and give them the opportunity to manage projects on a temporary basis. Monitor their progress and what they need to work on.
3. Ensure that they receive the necessary tools for development and coaching
Every new manager needs to be supported with a certain amount of coaching and training in order to gain and retain new skills, as well as to hear from their superiors and subordinates in which areas they need to improve.
4. Reward leadership
Don’t reward team success alone. Reward your leaders in order to motivate them to the behaviour that is expected of them. Give a clear demonstration of which behaviour leads to better results, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
5. Give leaders space
Leaders need you to give them time to learn and hone their leadership skills. Don’t expect them to perform efficiently from day one.
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