Leadership For Women
How To Make The Jump From Manager To Leader
“The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.”
—Faye Wattleton
What do you think it takes to move from a manager to a leader in your field? Conventional wisdom lets us believe that working hard at our assigned tasks is what’s required, but there’s a difference between being a manager and being a leader. Take a look at Ellig and Morin’s table below. Which category better represents how you’re operating today?
Are you a manager or a leader?
| Manager |
Leader |
| |
|
| Delegates and investigates issues | Stops “the buck” passing |
| Listens to the trumpet | Sounds the trumpet |
| Implements strategies | Creates the vision |
| Uses resources | Provides resources |
| Sails the ship | Sets the course |
| Supports new ideas | Invents, innovates |
| Evaluates quality | Sets standards |
| Makes many decisions | Makes few decisions |
| Builds alliances | Builds trust and integrity |
| Supports and walks the talk | Articulates the message |
| Interacts with people | Knows his/her people |
| Lets people know him/her | Lets people think they know him/her |
| Gets and delivers feedback | Sets criteria for feedback |
| Refines current way of doing things | Consistently searches for a better way to do things |
| Is committed | Is passionately committed |
Chances are most of you will see that you’re currently operating at the manager level. There’s nothing wrong with that . . . unless you thought you were aiming to be a leader. There are steps you can take to rise to this higher level. I’ll give you my three easy steps. Consider each step as adding a garment to your daily wardrobe that you’ll be wearing to work from now on.
Step 1: Pin down your goals and values and communicate them to others. (My tip this week is related to this.)
Step 2: Be a visionary with new ideas—don’t accept things as they’ve always been done. Inspire others with your ideas and enthusiasm. Encourage them to speak up with their ideas and the problems they see at work. Let others know you’ll hear them out and will consider their suggestions when you make decisions. But, when you make your decisions, you’ll proceed directly to Step 3 below.
Step 3: Be bold and assume “the buck stops here” mantle, knowing full well that this means you may have a few dissenters. You should expect this and stop trying to make everyone happy!
Here’s my tip of the week.
Tip:
Many of you have told me you appreciate it when I give you a script to work with. Here’s one for you to use when talking with higher ups in your company.
I like working for this company and my goal is to reach the leadership level in X (marketing, etc.). I would appreciate it if you consider me for any new projects, teams, or studies that deal with this.
(Now if you want to carry this conversation to a higher plane—as a leader would—add the following.)
If you’re interested, I have an idea for a survey which would provide information to benefit the company. Would you like me to email it to you and then we could meet to discuss it?
You get the idea. If you want to be a leader, add these 3 pieces of advice to your working “wardrobe.”
Further Reading:
Podcast (always less than 10 minutes), Working in Heels, by Nancy Clark, Powerful Body Language For Working Women —Women, Change Your Body Language, Change Your Message
Blog, Women’s Lunch Talk, by Nancy Clark, Are Women As Ambitious As Men? —Is Ambition Good For Men, And Bad For Women?
Website, WomensMedia, by Natalie R. Manor, Leadership & Confidence
—Many Women Are Competent, but Lack Confidence
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