Buddy to Boss, Stepping Up to Leadership

If you are not already a leader in your organization, you may have your eye on the job and all that goes with it. You want to wear a supervisor’s shirt, have the perks and extra pay that comes with it. You want the business card that says your name and the new leadership title. Maybe, deep down inside you want to be called “boss.”

Let’s talk about the other things that come with the title. You will have the opportunity to deal with making daily decisions, giving directions, answering questions from everyone that reports to you and you will be responsible for the results of those direct reports. From a distance, the leadership role may seem simple. But once in that role, especially if it’s your first-time leading others, you will quickly discover there is more involved than one realized. You may be shocked to learn that people will actually get upset if they don’t get what they want and since you are the one who will make those decisions, they may get upset with you.  

“Leadership is not about titles, positions, or flowcharts. It is about one life influencing another.” —John C. Maxwell

Before starting a new leadership role, be aware of the personal mindsets that you may need to adjust if you want to be successful as a frontline leader. Here are three:  

-FRIENDSHIPS: You may have been friends with everyone on the team before you were boss but understand that at some point you may have to make the hard decision to hold these same people accountable. Don’t become a leader if you can’t make the tough decision to write someone up or even terminate them. It sounds hard, cold, and insensitive, but leaders are there to promote the company’s vision, mission, values and to get quality results. The toughest decisions in leadership are made when holding people accountable to the work policies. If you play favorites with a few, expect others to see it. Favoritism will immediately undermine your credibility and ability to lead others. Playing favorites will lose your influence with the team and a loss of respect for your leadership. But most importantly, the organization will suffer.

-CONFLICT: Be firm when others break the rules. Don’t expect your boss to come in and be the rule enforcer for you. Being passive and expecting your boss to do the heavy rule enforcement while you sit back and try to “stay friends” is a sure way to lose the respect of those that promoted you in the first place.  Step up and meet conflict head on. You can be friendly but be firm and be the leader others will respect.

-COMMITMENT: Be all in as a leader or don’t become the leader. You have to work every day to earn the respect of your team and your bosses. Leadership is different than being on the crew. Leadership is saying you will step up and lead-by-example and own the results of the team. As a leader, your crew’s success means success for them, you, and the organization. Leading means understanding that the job is no longer just about your success, it is about how you help others be successful. When you serve your crew in this way, you will make sure your team, as well as your organization, gets the results needed.

Understanding how to separate from your past role as a teammate and transitioning into a leadership position is a big step. As the new leader you now must change the way you see yourself and how you treat others. Going from a buddy on a team to being the boss on that team, changes everything forever.  With the right mindset, it can mean greater success – for everyone.

“Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily, even if you had no title or position.” —Brian Tracy

Keep cultivating your leadership!

Jeff