A frequent social media comment is that people leave managers, not companies. And that “Quiet quitting” is also due to managers.
Why are people leaders failing?
Commentators like colleague Dan Moody note that generally, zero resources are provided to train first-time people leaders how to function in this new role. This is then compounded by having zero community or support for 1st time people leaders where they can seek guidance as they encounter issues.
New people leaders are also often promoted in the first place for strong individual contribution: the skills that got them promoted are not the same skills they now need to succeed. In fact, many of the skills that earned a promotion actively can sabotage their leadership ability.
Agreed.
And what often continues and strengthens this negative people leader cycle is the expectation that the first priority of a people leader is doing the functional/technical work in their area.
A key solution is priorities
The real first priority of a people leader is to lead people.
Then do the other work.
The incorrect expectations are reinforced by the the people leaders’ own leaders, the performance management system, culture, etc. Along with the prevailing view (it seems like) that anyone can “lead” people.
Change those expectations, and I suspect that most people leaders, especially new ones, will be fighting for training, coaching and other support to succeed.
What you can do
Meanwhile, there are some relatively simple things that people leaders can do to increase engagement and productivity without huge increases in time or extensive training … or even changing anything about the company.
Contact us for a no-obligation initial review of your situation and what you can do to correct any leadership gaps.
Leave a Reply