Swazi Observer

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CHANGING POSITIONS, FROM FOLLOWER TO LEADER

By Kholwaphi Mdziniso | 2019-07-16

Accepting the first real "leadership" position is an exciting, but intimidating time for all of us.

All business leaders were once in those shoes: They realised, at one time or another, that instead of following directions, they would be now giving directions, and that is not always an easy transition to make, especially when you are new in the leading people.

"A first-time leadership job is very stressful” as Wiley C. (2015) articulates. There's a significant change in roles and responsibilities. Success comes not only from what you do but from what you do to grow and develop others as you lead.

When promoted to a leadership position, many people have difficulty making the transition since organisations often promote individuals based on their technical competencies, rather than their leadership skills.

Below are some of the challenges that new leaders undergo during the job transition and how to best overcome them:

Switching roles from peer

to being a leader

If you have spent some time in a non-leadership position in your organisation and are suddenly promoted, a lot of things about your job are going to change.

Yes, your responsibilities and daily work will be different, but your relationship with your co-workers, especially those on your immediate team, will no longer be defined as "peers”, in fact your role changes to “leader”.

"It is a difficult transition because your identity among your peers and colleagues changes and it can be tricky shifting to where you are identified as a leader."

Changing from co-worker to team leader or the boss does not mean you cannot still be friendly with one another, and it certainly does not mean you should abuse your newly-found power.

However, just keep in mind that there may be a period of adjustment to earn the respect of your team as an authority figure rather than an equal-level employee.

Playing the role of

leading by teaching

One key component of shifting into a new dynamic with your colleagues is the role you will need to play as a teacher. Omdahl (2010) says that when you first stepped into a leadership position, you realise there are opportunities for "teaching moments."

The challenge, however, is knowing how and when to teach others, especially if there is a conflict that must be addressed.

"As a first-time leader, you are in a position you are unfamiliar with.

"You might feel like you are overstepping your boundaries when you have to confront a co-worker on an issue. But, just because you are in a leadership position does not mean you need to change your attitude or how you approach your work."

It is true that new leaders can learn to become effective motivators when they lead and teach by example. Employees feed off of that, leaders who lead by example cultivate the next generation of great leaders.

Selecting your team that you are responsible for leading

For small organisations and firms, hiring the right person that will fit into the culture of the organisation is not difficult but for bigger organisations it becomes tricky when the human resource department (HR) has to hire people on your behalf.

But still there is need that the leader gets to be involved in the selection process (for key decisions) so to ensure that what you have is the best fit for the particular position that you have or rather the best fit for that project that you are involved in.

Leaders have the important responsibility of being involved in the hiring process for their team.

If you have never had to hire someone before, you're likely in for a big shock when time comes to bring in a new employee.

Most first-time leaders don't realise the amount of effort that goes into a hiring decision. As a leader you have to ensure that you identify the best fit “square pegs for square holes and round pegs for round holes.”

Often times, new or inexperienced leaders do not realise that it takes extensive knowledge and the right research to hire the right people for the right role." Hale (2008) says that many new leaders make decisions upon face value of the applicant, especially for new entrants.

This usually results in a stressful dilemma where they have an employee dragging the business down and then the employee ultimately has to be let go.

Balancing leading

and managing

Though leadership and management both involve overseeing a team of workers, there is a distinct difference between the two, and first-time leaders may not always realise it.

They mayfeel that, if they are accomplishing their goals and hitting their budgets, they are successfully leading.

But leaders need to inspire their team, share purpose and provide direction, not just manage the budget.

As a new leader, it is essential to have a clear vision aligned with the company's mission and purpose, and to constantly communicate the vision and how your people are contributing to it.

Parker (2008) says "Catch them doing things that contribute to accomplishing your vision, and visibly recognise them for it, because what gets recognised gets repeated by others" as that develops a positive culture in the organisation.

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