From Manager to Leader: Transitioning and Developing Your Leadership Abilities
Many think that the terms ‘leaders’ and ‘managers’ are synonymous. But are they the same? They complement each other but are not identical.
Both leaders and managers share some essential characteristics, but there is a difference between the two roles. While a manager’s role includes managing people, processes, and systems to ensure that operations run smoothly and efficiently; in contrast, leaders focus on inspiring positive and transformative change through vision, inspiration, and human passion. In simpler terms, leaders think beyond what individuals do. And most of the time, people seek out good leaders to work for and turn to them for advice and encouragement.?
A leader doesn’t have to be a manager at all and can emerge in any group and encourage the group to move into new and uncharted territories aimed at getting better results. On the other hand, a manager can also be a leader, but many aren’t. But, they can totally level up and become one. For a manager to become an effective leader, certain traits and skills must be learned. Here are some of them:
Stop micromanaging
Micromanaging is a management style where a manager runs the operation through excessive supervision of an employee’s work and processes. Managers may believe that by controlling their team down to each operation can lead to success. Really though, it can do more harm than good. The signs of micromanagement include:?
This level of detailing can make people feel like you don’t trust them to figure things out. Most employees don't appreciate being micromanaged, so it's in the best interest of a manager to limit this behaviour before it leads to negative effects. Here are several approaches to do it:
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Look for better ways of doing things
Both managers and leaders take different approaches to their work. While a manager primarily focuses on processes and maintaining the status quo, a leader will constantly try to innovate and develop new and more efficient ways of doing things.
For example, in a manufacturing setup, a leader might encourage teams to look out for new technologies or alternative methods to improve efficiency and reduce costs, to meet evolving market demands. This proactive leadership approach may be beneficial for the company to chart out a pathway with the highest likelihood of success. Likewise, instead of imposing solutions, a leader should encourage team members to brainstorm and develop their own suggestions.
Develop a leadership mindset
To become an effective leader, it is important to develop the right mindset. Individuals with leadership mindset are able to inspire their teams and get the best performance out of them. A leadership mindset aids in creating an environment where team members feel safe to take risks and experiment. When developing a leadership mindset, an individual must ponder over one’s strengths and weaknesses, which will help take challenges head-on. Remember, leadership is not just about making decisions; it’s also about being open to feedback. One of the best qualities of a leader is that they are open to constructive criticism, also sometimes called as feedback. Leaders who are open to feedback are always looking for ways to improve if something goes wrong,
Lead by example
The mark of a good leader is to lead the team by example instead of words. Leaders create an environment where team members naturally strive to do their best for the organisation. Leading by example can create a workplace filled with trust, confidence and purpose. For instance, as a leader, the team members will be looking at your attitude and seeking clues to model it. Likewise, if you want to implement change, you must champion it before others do. And if the change is successful, you can easily lead others toward it. This goes beyond major projects and corporate initiatives. If a leader is willing to own up to mistakes and have humility, it will make him a good role model because the team members will want to associate with that type of leader.