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As business leaders, we are also technical managers, right? We manage people, we manage tasks, we manage projects. But most of us much prefer the title of business leader to manager. And rightly so, because these roles don’t really come with the same responsibilities, approaches, and attitudes.
While strong management is crucial to the success of any organization, its function is very different from that of business leadership.
Leaders they are visionaries who encourage and motivate their team in pursuit of a common future goal. They have a clear sense of direction and purpose and see the greater picture. (*6*), on the other hand, focus on implementing the vision set by leaders.
Leaders prioritize innovation and are open to exploring latest ideas and approaches. They encourage creativity and are willing to take risks to drive change and progress. (*6*) work inside established guidelines to maintain uniformity and consistency.
Leaders strengthen your teams by delegating authority and encouraging autonomy. They trust their team members to make decisions and take responsibility for their work, strengthening their sense of responsibility and development. (*6*) tend to exercise more direct control over team activities, closely monitoring performance and maintaining an individual approach to compliance.
Leaders encourage and drive culturequestioning the establishment and motivating your team to adapt and develop. (*6*) deal with the complexities of day-to-day operations and worker supervision, something most leaders don’t desire to touch.
There are many other significant differences between leadership and management, but you get the idea. At their core, leaders are coordinators, while managers are implementers. However, they have a symbiotic relationship. To effectively lead their teams, managers need structure, vision and goals set by leadership, while business leaders rely on managers to translate their goals into motion throughout the organization.
While managers are essential and mandatory, the title sometimes carries a stigma. (*6*), essentially considered intermediaries or corporate executives, do not have the authority or influence of a business leader. But what managers lack in seriousness, they likely make up for in opportunity – each for themselves and the organization. It seems that great managers can often develop into implausible future leaders.
Six ways to transform today’s managers into tomorrow’s leaders
Another key function of a business leader is to shape the future leaders of the organization. There is no higher candidate pool than your management team. A manager’s leadership potential is often revealed organically through his or her natural self-confidence, advanced communication style, and ability to connect with each leaders and his or her teams.
Once you have identified a great manager with the right skills on the leadership track, the next step is to nurture their potential and develop their execution skills.
Here are some effective strategies that may help develop quality managers into successful leaders:
1. Encourage them to think like a leader
(*6*) tend to focus solely on tasks, but as future leaders they need to learn to look beyond these operational responsibilities, think ahead and have a broader perspective. Start by empowering them to make decisions with some level of consistency and require deep insight. Give them autonomy and allow them to own large projects or products that go beyond their managerial responsibilities. Have them do a closure assessment.
2. Increase your emotional intelligence
Two essential traits of a strong leader are the ability to regulate one’s emotions and the ability to express empathy for others, especially in high-stress or high-stakes situations. Train your managers in energetic listening skills, effective communication and compassionate conflict resolution.
Emphasize the importance of connection. Advanced emotional intelligence builds trust, loyalty and positive relationships.
3. Be the leader you wish them to grow to be
As the leader of your organization, you are all the time in the highlight and your team is your audience. Whether you understand it or not, your communication style, the way you overcome challenges and losses, and how you’re feeling are always being observed and internalized. That’s why it is important to walk. Make sure you unwaveringly represent honesty, respect and transparency.
4. Teach them to think strategically
Again, managers tend to think administratively. To assume a leadership role, they need to develop a tactical and strategic mindset. You can start by providing them with data points or forecasts, and then brainstorm ways to use this information for future goals. Challenge them to come up with more ideas on their very own.
5. Offer leadership learning and development programs
Invest in formal leadership training, including workshops, executive coaching and mentoring opportunities. Give your managers access to leadership books, webinars, and conferences. By promoting lifelong learning, your managers won’t only be higher informed, but also more revolutionary.
6. Open channels of communication
Business leaders must find a way to provide constructive feedback that motivates reasonably than punishes. Create an environment where managers feel comfortable talking to key players, including employees, customers and you. The higher managers can communicate and navigate sometimes difficult discussions, the stronger they can be as the future leaders of your organization.
Remember that remodeling managers into leaders is not only about landing a future management role, but also about creating a culture of non-public growth, empowerment and excellence. This is a recipe for success that every leader should strive for.