My two cents on LEADERSHIP today:
Stepping into a new managerial role requires a delicate balance between Positioning and Learning. While the perceptual transition into a management may take time (and effort), the managerial journey starts from Day 1, accompanied by clear expectations for leading teams and driving results.
You don’t have the privilege to constantly learn, nor the other way around. Same as you cannot act like you “know everything” right away. The real magic unfolds when you adeptly blend both aspects and find the golden path.
Finding that harmonious intersection is a key, and you can enjoy while looking for the balance. Seek the right support for preparation and guidance during this critical golden hour of transition. Utilize the Positioning and Learning model for self-reflection on your current stance.
So, what’s your style?
Stepping into a new role, especially a managerial one, comes with its challenges. Working along the years with managers made me realize the best thing you can do to succeed in your job is to be aware of what are the challenges you are about to face and what you can do in order prepare yourself to face them. Your first impression as a manager is built during your initial steps into the role, so own it!
Entering a managerial role brings along high expectations. You have your own perception of how you will be as a manager, and the external environment has expectations from you as well, each from their point of view (your manager’s expectations are different from those of your team). Juggling these expectations, like balls in the air, leads to a mix of excitement and anxiety. However, this is the job.
Pull up your sleeves and enjoy the ride 😊
The journey into the managerial role begins on Day 1 with explicit expectations for team leadership and results. I would like to suggest self-reflecting on your progress so far (even if you haven’t entered the role yet) and using the Positioning and Learning Model.
The model suggests four distinct styles of entering a new managerial position. The styles determined by the delicate tension between two axes - Learning and Positioning.
The Learning Axis measures the extent to which the manager invests resources in understanding the role, learning the professional language and systems, and mapping the work environment. It involves writing impressions, asking questions, and making observations to comprehend the organization deeply and be responsible for leading future processes.
On the Positioning Axis, the manager invests resources in establishing their character, coordinating expectations, building trust relations, and fostering interpersonal connections, especially with the management team, strategic partners, and customers. Relationships built on trust empower effective leadership, decision-making, and initiative.
There are four distinct styles of entering a new managerial position:
1. The Avoidant: This manager avoids both learning and positioning efforts, often immersed in inaction or denial, risking failure in entering and succeeding in the role.
2. The Overly Learner: Immersed in learning their department and role, this manager understands their responsibilities but struggles to position themselves as a leader, a crucial aspect during the initial stages. Leaning behind the need to learn more and more, rather than facing the expectations.
3. The Know it All: This manager makes decisions and changes procedures without studying the position and the department's characteristics, acting like he knows all and has seen everything already. This can lead to potential impairments in departmental functioning over time.
4. The Learning Manager: Balancing learning, role understanding, and establishing themselves as a leader, this manager conveys confidence in setting norms while investing time in exploring the role and department. They actively consult, ask questions, and embrace doubt, emphasizing that learning is a strength, not a weakness. A learning manager turns managerial turnover events into opportunities for departmental growth.
Self- Reflect-->
Did you manage to discover where you are standing currently?
Did it match the style you would like to be at?
What kind of actions do you need to do to fill the gap between those styles?
Set up a meeting with a close friend, colleague, or a specialized consultant to help you walk it through. It’s time for some self-reflection.
To conclude
Stepping into a new managerial role requires a delicate balance between Positioning and Learning. While the perceptual transition into a management may take time (and effort), the managerial journey starts from Day 1, accompanied by clear expectations for leading teams and driving results.
You don’t have the privilege to constantly learn, nor the other way around. Same as you cannot act like you “know everything” right away. The real magic unfolds when you adeptly blend both aspects and find the golden path.
Finding that harmonious intersection is a key, and you can enjoy yourself while looking for balance. Seek the right support for preparation and guidance during this critical golden hour of transition. Utilize the Positioning and Learning model for self-reflection on your current stance.
Need help thinking it through? free to reach out!
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