This weeks tip is to be aware that new leaders have been taught to interview, but very few have been taught to lead. Ensure that you have systems in place to provide for their education within your organization, and make sure that there is a support system available to them that will help them grow versus tear them down.
Don’t Lose Your Millennials Before They Start
I was speaking to a young leader at a conference a few weeks ago, and as we talked about her transition into the workplace, she told me that she felt school didn’t prepare her for her job. She went on to talk about the stark difference between the school book environment, and that of the corporate world. The expectations of a leader, the struggle to build credibility, and the learning curve to simply succeed were all overwhelming. She was very open, discussing her struggles as a leader, and her inability to dig herself out of a couple of holes that she found herself in with her team.
As we continued to talk, more of her colleagues joined around, and many of them expressed the same opinion, that their past education and experiences didn’t do enough to prepare them for the workplace. Once we established that there was room for growth in the educational system, I turned my attention to their on-boarding as leaders in their companies. Most of them were responsible for a handful of team members, and as a result of the relatively small team sizes they weren’t given much direction or education about what success looked like in their roles. As a result they experienced failures that didn’t need to happen, and wrestled with the insecurities that are detrimental to a leader trying to be successful in a new role.
Regardless of the role, team size, or level of responsibility, organizations need to remember that new leaders have been taught many things through the educational system, but most of it won’t help them the first time they have to actually deal with a team member. We as leaders need to ensure that we take the steps necessary to set them up for success. There are many things that employers can do to ensure that their leaders are ready, but none are more effective than a personalized experience that features measured and effective communication, coupled with company education and leadership training. If those elements are combined with the autonomy needed to fail forward then new leaders will have the opportunity to be successful.
This weeks tip is to be aware that new leaders have been taught to interview, but very few have been taught to lead. Ensure that you have systems in place to provide for their education within your organization, and make sure that there is a support system available to them that will help them grow versus tear them down.
Thank You,
Chris Cano
Principal
JLH Leadership Solutions
JLH LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS 