Your Mentor Lied: Leadership is More Difficult than You Think

As I work with leaders, I run into a fraction that confide in me that they really did not know what they were getting into when they became a leader.  After working with hundreds of leaders over ten plus years, here are three profound lessons that have come out of those conversations.

Not everyone is cut out to be a leader (and that is okay).

Many people aspire to be a leader because they have a natural affinity to lead and help people grow.  Other people may elect to be a leader for less than noble reasons.  Maybe they want to lead for the money or what they think will be a prestigious or powerful position.

Too often, employees fall prey to the myth that leadership is a natural progression for someone to be considered “successful.”  The problem is, not everyone is destined to be a leader.  Not everyone will be a good leader.

Every organization I have worked within makes the same mistake.  They promote a perfectly happy and successful individual contributor mistakenly thinking that he or she will make a good leader.  What often makes employees so good and so successful doing “the work” is that he or she is very invested, happy, and talented doing the “task.” While leaders may have some “tasks” to complete as well, leaders start and end their day with people.  They talk to people, they coach people, they set expectations for people, they get to know people, they problem-solve with people, they hold people accountable, they have tough conversations with people. 

Doing the work and leading the work are two completely different skill sets.  An analysis of several studies found that somewhere between 27% and 46% of leadership transitions fail within the first 18 months.  Many leaders move into a leadership role to appear to be “successful,” but they end up being very unsuccessful.

When thinking about taking on a leadership role, consider the change in your work, consider the skills you will need, and consider your natural tendencies toward complexity, ambiguity, and conflict.  Examine your ability, or willingness, to go back to the individual contributor role if it does not work out or if you decide you do not like leading.

Re-examine your definition of “success.”  Is becoming a leader the only way you can be “successful” in your field?  What defines “success” for you.  Is success money?  Status?  Title?  You could pursue these in other avenues without seeking leadership.  Perhaps you could start a side business for more income?  How about establishing yourself as a thought leader in forums, at conferences, or on social media?

If leading people excites you and you think your next career move is leadership, talk to other new leaders to get their perspective.  Consider leading on a board or association to try out leading without making the official move into leadership.

Remember, not everyone is destined for leadership (and you will be okay (and successful) even if you do not become a leader).       

As a leader, you get little of the credit, but 100% of the responsibility.

Leaders get work done through people.  When you become a leader “we” becomes more prominent than “I” in your vocabulary.  Good leaders give credit where credit is due.  A true leader takes great satisfaction in knowing that they led the team to success.  Rarely does a true leader feel that he or she needs the recognition for the success of the team (although it is nice to hear).

On the flipside however, if the project fails, it is the leader who must answer for the failure.  The leader should be working closely enough with a team to know when a project is off course.  A leader should garner enough trust with his or her team that they will not hesitate to ask the leader to problem-solve or remove barriers.  The deliverables and expectations described by the leader should be clear and attainable.  If the results are off, it is a direct reflection of the skills of the leader.

Title does not equal authority.

In many organizations, gone are the days of “command and control” when employees did exactly what the boss said—simply because he or she was the boss.  Today’s leaders need to influence independent of their position.  If a leader relies on title or position to get work done, he or she will end up without a loyal and productive team.  In an organization it is easy to spot leaders who are falling back on their “command.”  These leaders tend to have a higher level of turnover and they get a reputation among employees and peers for “pushing too hard.”

Today’s employees expect that their skills, ideas, and prior experience will be leveraged.  It may be easier to say “because I’m the boss,” but the most successful leaders don’t give orders—they are curious, they ask questions, they make connections with employees and peers, and they know how to get the best out of every employee.

Leadership may seem glamourous or exciting (and profitable), but in reality, it is hard work every single day.  It can also be tremendously rewarding.  Don’t be afraid to try leadership, but go into it with eyes wide open. 

If you have discovered that leadership is not for you, but you think you cannot go back—I encourage you to redefine your idea of success.  Wouldn’t you rather be known as a valuable individual contributor than an ineffective or incapable leader?

Source: McKinsey.com – Successfully Transitioning into Leadership Roles