Many organizations and individuals get into trouble attempting Stage 2 Leadership when the time isn’t right. The problems arise because, more often than not, organizations promote the most technically proficient doers into supervisory, team leader, or management roles. However, a great doer, or Stage 1 Leader, doesn’t necessarily make a great leader, or Stage 2 Leader.

The skills needed to be an effective supervisor, team leader, or manager are vastly different than those needed to be a proficient doer. Doers, Stage 1 Leaders, are the front-line, hands-on, do-the-work people. They’re usually responsible for their individual output and for their specific, defined responsibilities. Effective doers utilize systems and processes to help them do their jobs, but they still do the work themselves. Supervisors and managers, on the other hand, use the systems and processes to leverage and coordinate the work of many doers and thereby enhance the individual team member and unified team efforts. Supervisors and managers also are responsible for ensuring the work of the various doers is getting done on time, within budget, and in accordance with quality and customer specifications. Managers drive productivity and efficiency. Managers are responsible for ensuring the organization’s resources (i.e., people, materials, facilities, money, etc.) are being utilized most effectively, here and now, to meet the organization’s near-term goals and objectives.

Promote with Purpose

Even though great doers often lack the interpersonal, communication, multi-tasking, and organization skills needed by effective supervisors and managers, upper management continues to promote the most technically competent doers because they’re the best! Right? As Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman state sarcastically in First, Break All The Rules, “We still think that the most creative way to reward excellence in a role is to promote the person out of it.”

If we want great people in management, does it make sense to promote the best doer? Not necessarily.

If you’d like to learn more, grab my book:
Something Needs to Change Around Here:
The Five Stages to Leveraging Your Leadership

 

Copyright MMXIV – Liz Weber, CMC, CSP – Weber Business Services, LLC – www.WBSLLC.com +1.717.597.8890

Liz supports clients with strategic and succession planning, as well as leadership training and executive coaching. You can earn more about great leaders from Liz on LinkedIn!