Transitioning From Manager to Leader

If you’re a manager, chances are you’re the kind of person who’d like to move up the ladder into a more senior leadership role.

But transitioning from manager to leader can be tough, as these roles come with vastly different responsibilities, and many of the traits of a great manager are actually not conducive to being an effective leader.

This can create many issues for the organizations these leaders are tasked with leading, and as a result, there are a lot of people out there who are not impressed by the leadership skills of those whom they work under.

For example, in a survey from Sounding Board of more than 200 HR professionals, 30 percent of respondents said that “employees in their organization do not feel that leaders effectively lead them.”

That being said, if you’re transitioning from manager to leader, and you want to make that transition as smooth as possible, then you might want to consider getting some leadership coaching.

This kind of coaching is becoming increasingly popular, and that’s because of how effective it is at helping people to hone their leadership skills, both for those who are looking to transition into leadership roles, and those who are already in leadership positions.

But this isn’t just my opinion, and most people in leadership roles would agree.

For instance, the Sounding Board survey I referenced above also found that 56 percent of managers believe “coaching is a crucial leadership development practice.”

And a survey from Dion Leadership of more than 100 leaders found that the vast majority of them would share this same sentiment.

95 percent of respondents to this survey agreed that leadership coaching helps them to perform better in their roles, 81 percent agreed that leadership coaching has enhanced their overall well-being, and 94 percent agreed that leadership coaching has improved their confidence as a leader.

So, if you’re in the process of transitioning from manager to leader, and you’re wondering what you can do to smoothen the transition and improve your performance, then you’re going to want to keep reading.

Because in this article, I’m going to explain what leadership coaching is, why it’s so good for helping people to develop their leadership skills, why it can be tough to transition from manager to leader, and what makes my approach to leadership coaching so effective.

What Is Leadership Coaching?

Leadership coaching is a process that entails working with individuals to develop their leadership skills, identify ineffective behaviors, enhance their performance, and help them to achieve their professional goals.

Typically, leadership coaches take a collaborative and personalized approach that’s tailored to the specific needs and objectives of each client and focuses on unlocking their potential as a leader.

This involves a series of assessments and one-on-one sessions between the coach and their client, where they help them to gain greater self-awareness, identify strengths and areas for development, set goals, and create strategies to overcome challenges.

A leadership coach will provide guidance, support, and feedback to the client, helping them enhance their leadership capabilities, develop effective communication skills, improve decision-making abilities, and build relationships with their team members.

With that in mind, a big part of why leadership coaching is so effective is that it goes beyond traditional training or mentoring by focusing on the personal and professional growth of the individual, while encouraging self-reflection, introspection, and continuous learning.

This allows people transitioning from manager to leader to move beyond their operational and managerial mindset and become inspiring and influential leaders.

Why Is it so Tough for Some People to Transition From Manager to Leader?

As I said above, the responsibilities of a manager are vastly different from those of a leader, and holding on to the managerial mindset can make it more difficult for people transitioning from manager to leader.

For example, managers are involved in the minute-to-minute minutiae of an organization’s operations, such as resolving conflicts between employees, supervising employees, managing their performance, and identifying opportunities for training and development.

And while many leaders (especially those who used to be managers) tend to get stuck in the weeds dealing with these things, the truth is, an effective leader shouldn’t be worrying about any of this stuff.

The whole point of having managers is so that leaders don’t have to concern themselves with any of these things, and if they’re taking the time to micromanage what everyone else is doing, then they’re wasting much of their time and energy, and they’re probably not going to be a very good leader.

Like it or not, leaders should not be concerned with all this day-to-day operations stuff, and their focus should be strictly on the strategic side of things.

This includes making key decisions on things like risk management, innovation, and organizational development, overseeing corporate governance, managing relationships with stakeholders, considering an organization’s financial health, promoting its interests, and enhancing its reputation by being the face of the organization and providing external representation.

As you can tell, with this much on their plate, an effective leader doesn’t have any time to be worrying about micromanaging, but this is where many people who are transitioning from manager to leader tend to run into problems.

How Can Leadership Coaching Benefit Those Who Are Transitioning From Manager to Leader?

If you’re transitioning from manager to leader, leadership coaching can offer many benefits, helping you to shift from a managerial perspective, and narrow your focus to where it belongs, while developing the confidence and skills you need to be the best possible leader.

With that in mind, here are some of the benefits of leadership coaching:

Self-Awareness

Leadership coaching helps individuals gain a deeper understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, values, and leadership style, allowing them to identify areas for development and leverage their strengths as they step into a leadership role.

Skill Development

Leadership coaching supports the development of essential leadership skills, such as effective communication, decision-making, strategic thinking, and emotional intelligence, enabling a smooth transition into a leadership position.

Confidence Building

Transitioning from manager to leader can be challenging, and individuals may experience self-doubt or imposter syndrome, but leadership coaching can help them to build confidence by providing a supportive environment, reinforcing strengths, and offering strategies to overcome obstacles.

Shifting Mindset

Moving from a managerial mentality to a leadership mindset requires a shift in perspective, and leadership coaching can help individuals to cultivate a leadership-oriented mindset, and develop the ability to inspire and motivate others, think long-term, and embrace innovation and change.

Emotional Intelligence and Resilience

Leadership coaching also addresses the emotional aspects of transitioning from manager to leader by helping individuals to understand and manage their emotions, develop empathy, build resilience for handling challenges, and maintain personal well-being during the transition.

What’s My Approach to Leadership Coaching?

My approach to leadership coaching isn’t too different from what’s described above, but I do have a slightly different method than most, at least in terms of what I tend to focus on.

And in the context of someone transitioning from manager to leader, it works extremely well.

First of all, I’m brutally honest. If you’re the problem I’m going to tell you, if you’re lacking the necessary skills I’m going to come right out and say it, and I’m not going to sugarcoat anything, or tell you you’re doing a great job when you’re not because that wouldn’t serve you.

I’m always kind and professional, but I will tell you exactly what you need, which may not be what you wanted to hear. I often get complimented on this approach and the results my clients get, as they appreciate the fact that I’m a coach, not a crutch!

Some of the aspects I prefer to focus on include how to effectively engage employees, how to properly delegate anything that isn’t the best use of your talent or your time, and how to get in touch with your authentic self.

When it comes to employee engagement, I work with clients to help them develop enough emotional intelligence and self-awareness to understand how to address each individual in a way that’s going to work for them.

In terms of delegation, for many leaders, and people aspiring to be in leadership positions, micromanaging and not respecting your role as a leader is one of the hardest behaviors to curb, so I like to focus on this, as it’s critically important for leaders to ensure they’re not wasting time and energy on things that someone else should be doing.

As for getting in touch with your authentic self, that may sound like it’s coming straight out of left field, but the truth is, if you don’t have a deep understanding of who you really are, then it can be practically impossible to make the kind of changes that will make you a better leader, mainly because you’re lacking the self-awareness and adaptability that it takes to do that.

That being said, when it comes to leadership coaching, I always start by having the client complete a series of assessments, including the CORE MAP Assessment.

These assessments allow me and the client to have a deeper understanding of what they’re all about, including who they are, why they behave the way they do, where they are now, where they want to be, and what will be the quickest way for them to get there.

Then we can focus on building the skills and habits necessary for them to get where they want to be by meeting at least a couple of times per month and going through a comprehensive training program.

This includes not only developing the attributes that will be required for them to reach their full potential as a leader, but also working on several critical elements of their business, with people and processes being the main focus.

At the same time, I also pride myself on being there for my clients right when they need me, and I won’t shy away from taking calls 24/7, if need be.

Because at the end of the day, this is what I love to do. I’m passionate about helping clients develop their leadership skills, reach their goals, and get to know themselves better, and seeing that process play out is incredibly satisfying for me.

Do you or someone on your team need some help transitioning from a managerial role into a leadership position? Contact us today to find out more about how we can help you make the change.