"When you become a leader, your challenge is to inspire others, develop them, and create change through them. You've got to flip that switch and understand that it's about serving the folks on your team." Jaime Brick, General Electric
I have been an HR leader in Fortune 500 corporations and small to mid-size organizations. What has been most consistent in all my years in HR is that we promote Super Stars with little to no training in leading people. They are the employees who have become"heroes" of their OWN journey. The challenge is always getting the Super Stars prepared to become authentic leaders who empower other leaders on the team and in the organization.
I have seen Top Leaders in Fortune 500 corporations fighting over their "turf"...and as I am usually in observation mode, watching leaders fight over their own turf never led to wins for them or the organization. The leaders who have been most successful are the ones who recognize that leading is not about their success but the success they create by empowering others. It's a huge learning experience!
In the USA we grow up and excel on our OWN merits. In our early years we earn our own grades. We excel in individual sports or playing musical instruments or being in student government. We enter the world of work and we have great vision for heading to the top of the organization and making it better than the leaders who are currently holding those titles. Remember those days of dreaming big dreams and starting down the path towards becoming a manager, director, or VP?
The trouble is...that "I" mental model that you have honed and developed all these years...will not work once you hit a manager position and have to lead people, it's no longer about you. If you want to unleash the possibilities and the power of a team you have to motivate and inspire others to reach their full potential! If your team is merely following your lead, your efforts are limited... You can't be successful on your own merits...now you must have the skills necessary to lead others to live up to their full potential. And, herein lies the problem... most leaders don't take the time and effort to become authentic leaders who really know how to lead. Now the super star skills that got them to the manager position shifts to being able to inspire others, develop them, and create change through them. It's about becoming an authentic leader who is able to serve others on your team.
You may be at a point in your leadership journey where you are blocked from moving forward. It happens to most leaders at some point. Your mental model of succeeding on your own merits has to be turned around...and now your success is going to depend on your ability to lead. You might be questioning yourself..."am I good enough"..."why can't I get my team to want to work towards my goals? ..."someone is going to find out my team is not doing their job...I better do it for them" ... "I better control everything my team does so we look good. Since they can't do the job right...I will review everything they do, and tell them how to correct their mistakes"... (notice all the I's involved)
Step back...have you transformed your mental thinking from being a super star to an inspirational leader who is a making a difference to a higher calling?
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