When you have held an expert position in your field for years
(sales, engineering, etc.) and you are offered the opportunity to progress towards a manager position, which, moreover, may lead you to manage former colleagues, how to go about it develop your leadership And how to temper your expert manager stance? What are the most common difficulties encountered in this situation and what tools are available to overcome them?
In this article, you will discover what might be blocking you and what might help you
allow you to take your place as leader manager, and what are the
benefits for you, your employees and your company.
The difficulties encountered in the transition from expert manager to leader manager:
It's sometimes easier to manage a team whose work you don't know well, allowing you to focus on the required expertise: management. Yes, being a manager is a real profession, and one that requires very specific skills.
When you progress to a management position as an expert in the field of the team you supervise,
The advantage is that you know the business, its inner workings, processes, and pitfalls, and you can adopt an advisory/mentor role. On the other hand, it can be more difficult to step back and fully embody your leadership role. Here are some of the challenges you might encounter:
To detach oneself from the role of operational expert:
You may be tempted to continue working on your old "field" topics and spend more time on them than necessary.,
Difficulty finding the right balance in relationships with former colleagues:
You may find it difficult to envision evolving relationships with your former peers and may try to do too much or too little: being too distant or too friendly, struggling to manage difficult situations and give and receive feedback.,
Having difficulty taking a step back and continuing to manage operational emergencies:
Out of habit, you can fall into the trap of immediate reactions and get caught up in daily emergencies.,
Having difficulty letting go, delegating, trusting, and empowering others:
This is one of the biggest difficulties I've observed among expert managers. Indeed, this
It can be difficult to delegate and not do things for others. You may have
You tend to have the following thoughts, which can be debilitating: "It will be faster if I do it myself," "They won't do it the way I want," "I have no one to ask."
"Delegate," "My team already has too much to do"...
Difficulty managing ambiguity and uncertainty:
Operational work is concrete, tangible, and the actions are clear. Managing, however, can mean taking risks without having all the data and overcoming doubts and concerns about the future.,
Difficulty asking for support and acknowledging one's vulnerability:
Sometimes, you may think that you are expected to be an unshakeable rock, and this can prevent you from asking for practical or emotional support and from accepting and assuming your status as a human being, with your qualities and flaws and the need to be supported as well, like any other person.
Tools to facilitate the transition to a leadership management style:
Understanding the differences and complementarities between the roles of manager and leader:
Understanding the three pillars of leadership:
- Being a leading manager starts with self-leadership That is to say, to know oneself better (emotions, thoughts, relationships, limiting beliefs/biases, behaviors, etc.) in order to be able to understand and guide others, and manage the environment and changes. Don't underestimate the importance of developing Your soft skills rather than your hard skills. This requires introspection, sometimes questioning oneself, to arrive at a better understanding of one's personality, leadership style, motivations, fears, obstacles, beliefs… This can be facilitated by a individual coaching if needed.
- The leadership of others : once you know yourself better, you will be able to understand how your colleagues function: their needs, levers for fulfillment, intrinsic motivations, their way of communicating etc.
- Leadership in one's environment / changes: the 3th This aspect goes beyond simply managing one's own team. Managing also means understanding and manage his manager, adopt a strategic posture, inspiring, work on your network, understand the system, the stakes and interests of the stakeholders, the constraints and objectives of the entire organization, the values of the company and the executive committee, internalize them, and conduct effective meetings, lead change, innovate, taking risks…
Choose to be a leader who reflects who you are:
Make no mistake, there isn't just one type of leader. The stereotype of the charismatic leader, capable of speaking to and convincing crowds, with a quick wit and a directive manner, is somewhat of an urban legend and also just one type of leader among many. This misconception can discourage many. You have acquired skills, you have accumulated experiences, character traits, and values which allow you to guide, inspire, and motivate in your own way. You can be introverted and thoughtful and still be a respected leader!
Structuring and organizing your time, managing priorities:
I want to tell you that the lPareto's law has never been more relevant than here. Spend 80% of your time on 20% topics that bring the most added value to your field. List List all the tasks you complete in a week and ask yourself the questions The following questions: Is it important? Is it urgent? Is it my responsibility? Can't I Should we not delegate this task, postpone it, or eliminate it altogether?
Learning to delegate:
I think this is the most complex and difficult subject to tackle when you've been an expert. The first question to ask yourself is: What do I stand to gain from this? And my colleagues? And the company? This involves clearly defining everyone's roles and responsibilities, ideally all together. The advantages of delegation are numerous, and it's important to be aware of them in order to succeed:
- Upskills his employees so that they can develop and be motivated,
- Empower The team members will be able to carry out their assigned tasks without your presence being essential, or even oppressive.,
- Get more work done and of better quality,
- Freeing up your time to allow you to focus on your primary role as a manager…
Initially, it may be reassuring to structure your delegation by following the process below, then gradually loosen the reins:
