From Manager to Leader

Stop doing what’s made you successful

Managers often viewed as task-oriented, and not necessar- agement roles to a more flexible, effective leadership style.
ily focused on their employees. Leaders on the other hand are As an Executive Coach, I’ve partnered with many executives
viewed as people-oriented; they impact and influence as well who have made this transition successfully. There is one piece
as work through and motivate their employees, utilizing their of advice I give that sometimes comes as a surprise: I tell people
resources to perform assigned tasks in the most productive and to stop doing some things that earned them that management
profitable way possible. position in the first place.
Many managers confuse management with leadership, and From Manager to Leader
feel they are automatically leaders because they occupy a posi- What makes a leader? Is it a compilation of certain behav-
tion of higher responsibility. While this assumption is often iors? Is it style? Is it a certain way of communicating? What do
true, many fail to display active leadership qualities. The roles leaders do that makes people perceive them as leaders?
leaders fulfil are different than those of managers, although In order to answer these questions, let’s first look at what
sound management practices are complementary to effective makes a good manager. We’ve all had poor managers, so we
leadership. While some individuals are natural leaders, most know a good one right away. It’s someone who inspires us,
managers must evolve into leaders both by investing time and who cares about what we do and how we do it. It’s someone
effort in developing their abilities and by adapting their man- for whom everyone wants to work - the person who makes the

leadership excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 06.2014

group work as a successful team. If you’re lucky enough to be leader and team for long-term success.
on that team, coming to work is fun and challenging. You work The transition coaching relationship also includes regular
hard, but you get results. meetings with the new leader as well as ongoing feedback. Fre-
Given that description, isn’t a manager also a leader? Are quently, the coach conducts a “pulse check” of the key players,
these not leadership skills? What would keep a great manager including the boss, direct reports, peers and other stakehold-
from being seen as a potential candidate for leadership? ers, after four to six weeks to gather early impressions so that
Leaders do share many of the traits of a great manager. the new leader can make a course correction if needed.
They inspire. They motivate. However, leaders take it all a Conclusion:
step further. Leaders are enthusiastic, optimistic and articulate Whether a manager is moving into a new leadership position
when talking about plans, hopes and successes. Their genuine or looking to get back on the road to success, transition coach-
enthusiasm energizes and attracts others. It brings visions to ing work to bring out the best in leaders through the support
life. Leaders sincerely believe in what they are saying and they of a professional relationship with an Executive Coach. The
demonstrate their personal convictions through their behav- relationship is built on a foundation of trust and confidential-
iors. This is what gives them the confidence to make unpopular ity. The ability of coaches to provide leaders with an outside re-
judgment calls and to sell ideas that contradict the status quo. source that can also act as a sounding board helps them become
It’s what enables them to inspire others to follow them down a the successful leaders they were meant to be.
difficult road while keeping up the group’s morale. Organizations must clearly define the purpose of coaching,
Are there recipe for success for those moving from manage- gauge the process, and evaluate results. Coaching is not just
rial to leadership roles? about providing support. Ultimately, coaching should deliver
Leaders must identify the right goals, develop a supporting what any business needs – real results. LE
strategy, align the architecture of the organization, and figure
out what projects to pursue to secure early wins. Prof Sattar Bawany is the CEO of Centre for Executive Education (CEE
Global). CEE Global offers executive development solutions including execu-
Leaders at all levels of the organization must demonstrate tive coaching and leadership development programs that help professionals
a high degree of emotional and social intelligence in their develop the skills and knowledge to embrace change and catalyze success in
their industries.
leadership role. Emotionally intelligent leaders create an en- Visit www.cee-global.com
vironment of positive morale and higher productivity and this Email enquiry@cee-global.com
would result in sustainable employee engagement. The criti-
cal transitional skills for leaders in transition include having
emotional intelligence competencies in effective relationship
management, cross-cultural communication, effective negotia-
tion and conflict management.
The reality for leaders in transition is that relationships are
great sources of leverage. By building credibility with influen-
tial players, you are better able to gain agreement on goals, and
commitment to achieving those goals.
In the leader’s new situation, relationship management skills
are critical as they aren’t the only one going through a transi-
tion. To varying degrees, many different people, both inside
and outside the leader’s direct line of command, are affected by
the way he or she handles his or her new role.
Transition Coaching Approach
Transition coaching has three overall goals: to accelerate
the transition process by providing just-in-time advice and
counsel, to prevent mistakes that may harm the business and
the leader’s career, and to assist the leader in developing and
implementing a targeted, actionable transition plan that deliv-
ers business results.
While many of the issues covered by transition coaching are
similar to those included in executive coaching, such as sorting
through short and long-term goals, and managing relationships
upwards as well as with team members, transition coaching is
focused specifically on the transition and designed to educate
and challenge new leaders. The new leader and coach will work
together to develop a transition plan, a road map that will
define critical actions that must take place during the first 90
days to establish credibility, secure early wins and position the

35 leadership excellence essentials presented by HR.com | 06.2014