“If you only do what you know you can do, you never do very
much.”- Tom Krause, motivational speaker, teacher and coach.
Sooner or later after a significant promotion, this challenge
seems to hit all leaders between the eyes. Letting go of
previously successful approaches is one of the most frequent
coaching topics for my executive coaching clients. It’s
especially a challenge when the approaches that are no longer
appropriate to rely on are the very behaviours that led to the
promotion.
Why this sudden about face? Why would certain behaviours be
considered strengths one day and weaknesses a week later? Are
organizations this erratic?
Think of situations where you’ve been recognized for a
particular strength—let’s take “rolling up your sleeves and
getting things done” as an example. For much of your career you
may have been rewarded for showing initiative and accomplishing
things yourself. Then suddenly as you are promoted to the
Director level, this strength doesn’t seem to earn you the
respect it once did. Your boss starts telling you to stand back
and get things done through others instead. You are told to get
your nose out of the day-to-day issues and address longer-term
strategic concerns. You are encouraged to hold back your own
answers and coach others to figure out their own best solutions
instead.
Valerie was recently promoted to Controller from the position of
Manager, Strategic Alliances. In her previous role, she operated
as an individual contributor. Her analyses of potential alliance
opportunities required her to be very hands-on and focused on
detailed information. She was recognized as being one of the
strongest individuals in the company for knowing specific facts
and being able to answer any question at all about the smallest
piece of data.
In Valerie’s new role she gained a team of managerial level
direct reports. In no time Valerie’s team told her that she was
micro-managing them. When she asked detailed questions about
specific budget lines, they felt that Valerie didn’t trust them.
Her highest potential direct report resigned within one month,
expressing that Valerie was too involved in the day-to-day
details and required too much detailed information. Clearly,
Valerie needed to let go of her desire to keep all of the
details in her head. She needed to step up from individual
contributor to a leader who "gets things done through others".
Continuing to rely heavily on the skills she was recognized for
in her previous job would sooner or later derail her at this new
level.
Interestingly enough, I’ve noticed that the challenge of making
these shifts seems to be most difficult for people who have had
the most previous success. The louder the applause, the more the
individual wants to repeat the same behaviours. It can be
frightening to move from a place of high-achievement and strong
recognition to a place of “not knowing” and uncertainty. It can
be uncomfortable to move from expert mode to learner mode. It’s
very natural for this discomfort to result in resistance to
pursuing new skills and a desire to continue relying on proven
success strategies from past roles.
Accountability partners such as your manager or a mentor can be
of great support in helping you hold your hand to the flame and
try on new behaviours. The services of a professionally-trained
leadership coach are particularly valuable to support you with
these challenging skill transitions.
“It is necessary to any originality to have the courage to be an
amateur.”- Wallace Stevens, poet
Here are some questions for personal reflection…
• What past skills or strengths are at risk of becoming (or may
already be) liabilities for you at your current level in the
organization?
• How can you shift your attention to the necessary new skills
that are important for success in this role?
While it is understandably daunting to step into the unknown to
gain new skills, it is the path to personal growth and career
progression. I wish you well on this journey.
This article is adapted from Sue’s chapter
“You’ve Gotta’ Flip
It On Its Head! Four Key Strategies for Leadership Success”, in
Awakening the Workplace 2. Order
your copy here.
