‘Problems can never be solved with the same thinking that created them’ - Albert Einstein[1]
In working with #leaders over the years it is fascinating to see how often, and how many, #leaders are to be found ‘down in the weeds’ doing the job of others of at least a level, often a couple of levels, below them.
Rather than providing #leadership at the level they should, these leaders are clinging on to the values and skills of their past role or roles and doing the work of others. The issue here is that they have not successfully made the changes and transitions from one role to the next. The cost of this is high, for not only are they underperforming in their current role (as well as being over paid) but they are most likely negatively impacting the people they are supposed to be leading.
It is important for #leaders to both recognise and understand that each and every movement up the leadership ladder involves both a change and a transition.
A #change is situational e.g. a new title, whilst a #transition is psychological - a complex and emotional three-phase process of ‘letting go of old ways’ of working and ‘saying hello to new’ – a process that many do not successfully pass through, for they invariably get stuck in the middle – a ‘neutral zone’ – where the pull is invariably back to the old and known ways of working. The consequence is that they make no transition.
Whilst most of today’s organisations are far ‘flatter’ in structure with fewer levels or ‘rungs on the ladder’, the most important stage and the foundation of future leader capability, is the very first stage – the move from leading self to the leading of others.
Too often people are promoted to #lead others but unfortunately few are helped or supported in this crucial first stage, with many organisations considering the change (the situational element) to be a natural development without understanding, or even recognising, the transitional (psychological) issues involved.
Many leaders also think that they are far better at #leadership than they actually are – a cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect[2] where people with low ability in a role or job overestimate their ability.
#Leaders cannot go back and start anew but they can correct their self-perception by seeking the views of others with whom they interact and work. This is where a well facilitated 360-degree feedback exercise can be really helpful.
Research[3] shows that #360feedback gives a much more accurate picture than self-assessment on what leaders really do and how they actually behave with the gap between what the individual thinks and what observers score providing the greatest insight and learning.
The attraction of ‘the weeds’ is an unconscious admission of a failure of #leadership, for it reveals leaders who have not effectively transitioned from leading self where the focus remains exclusively on themselves, their performance, and their role specialisation. Moving away from this and the ‘weeds’ is about developing and practicing behaviours such as:
Building and Creating Trust
The seeking of joint solutions and inviting others into problem solving and decision-making
Helping and supporting others to learn
Valuing the thoughts and opinions of others
Making time for those they work with
Commitment to, and belief in, collaboration
These are but a few behaviours that should be in a good #360feedback instrument and as with any behaviour are rooted in beliefs that people hold. This means that to change a behaviour requires a belief to be changed, something that is not easy for some of these beliefs may well be deeply embedded e.g. trust in others. This is why many transitions just don’t happen as people cannot release beliefs they hold.
Additionally, there will be the need to ‘let go’ of the well-developed technical, specialism, and professional proficiency that has brought previous self-success e.g. a salesperson moving to sales management or directorship. There are beliefs here to address.
#Selfawareness is crucial to successful transition.
Gathering information through which they can identify personal strengths and weaknesses is essential, for the need is to create a meaningful action plan for personal change and development. Enacting this plan will greatly enhance their capabilities to effectively operate at the right leadership level.
The behavioural examples given in this blog comes from the #Collaborate360 feedback tool. To find out more about this please click here: https://bit.ly/Collaborate360
[1] This quotation is attributed to Albert Einstein. However, it’s source is unknown and may be a paraphrase. [2] Dunning, D and Kruger, J (1999) ‘Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognising One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Self-Inflated Self-Assessments’ Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77 (6) pp 1121-1134 [3] London, M; Wohlers, AG; and Gallagher, P (1990) ‘360-degree Feedback Surveys: A Source of Feedback to Guide Management Development’ Journal of Management 9 pp 17-31. Walker, HG and Smither, JW (1999) ‘A Five Year Study of Upward Feedback: What Managers Do With Their Results Matters’
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