Whenever someone asks me how they can become a more effective leader, I tell them the same thing:
‘You need to shift your thinking from “tactical” to “strategic.”
Here’s what I mean by that:
Most employees I meet focus on solving problems hour by hour… day by day… or week by week. Short-term problems. But when you’re a leader, that’s not going to fly anymore. Why?
Because your actions today have knock-on consequences in the future. And as a leader, You’re responsible for those consequences. And when you’re only focused on day-to-day firefighting like most people. That’s when your management career unravels. Because you leave yourself zero time to plan for the future.
Or to develop needle-moving strategic initiatives. The result?
Your superiors will struggle to take you seriously. And they’ll struggle to see you as their equal. Which is not a great position to be in. Because it does nothing for your confidence levels. And it does nothing for your ability to influence others.
And here’s what’s so frustrating about that:
Many of the most stressed-out leaders I met used to be top-tier employees. They’re smart, hard-working, and diligent—in short, they’re incredible tactical doers. But as a result, they often turn out to be poor strategic thinkers and leaders.
Let me give you an example…
Let’s say you’ve just been promoted to management from a tactical role like software development or sales.
Your IT department calls and says there’s been a major system outage. And it might take hours to get back up and running.
At this point, your tactical instincts scream at you to spring into action. Even though you have a team who can handle everything for you.
Maybe you don’t totally trust them.
Maybe you don’t want to give them difficult jobs, or maybe you just miss getting your hands dirty. So you jump in yourself:
You call affected clients, send email after email to team members, and work around the clock… until you find a fast, positive solution.
Great!
Now, let’s also imagine you had a strategy presentation to prepare for the following day—a presentation you’ll deliver to your company’s C-level executives.
But instead of planning your new initiative, developing a strategic roadmap, and allocating your team’s resources, you spent your day fixing the system outage I just mentioned.
Do you think you’ll nail your strategic presentation tomorrow?
And do you think you’ll earn the respect you deserve? Or do you think you’ll appear weak and unprepared?
I think you know the answer.
And that’s why so many new leaders say, “I just don’t have time to be strategic.”
If so, you need to shift your thinking from tactical to strategic – so you can keep growing as a person and become a more effective leader.
Here are three shifts that can help in this transition:
Core area #1 – Developing a Leadership Mindset
Even if you armed yourself with an MBA, a CFA, or a PhD and so on – at some point…
You’d still hit a success ceiling. Unless you develop something, few managers know about it.
But what creates this success ceiling?
Many managers think it’s a lack of tactical know-how, but it runs much deeper than that.
It’s an “inner glass ceiling,” as I call it.
In a nutshell, this is how your thoughts and beliefs prevent you from reaching your goals. Which might sound very simple.
But you’d be amazed how many “mental landmines” we keep hidden inside of us. Usually, without even noticing them.
And just because you’re not aware of them… don’t let that fool you. Because it’s these mental landmines that create your inner glass ceiling. And they’re the reason why even the most decorated and experienced workers struggle to thrive as leaders.
The solution?
Strengthening your Leadership Mindset – so you reprogram the thoughts and beliefs at the core of your inner glass ceiling.
Core area #2 – Creating High-Performance Teams the Right Way
Many new managers think that “command and control” is the best way to achieve results.
And sure, you could boost your team’s productivity through fear. But I think you’ll agree that’s not a sustainable way to lead.
Which is why you need a new way to create high-performance teams.
A way that increases motivation and performance, creates an incredible team culture and fosters a massive sense of loyalty. I call this style of team building “Being of Service.”
This simply means prioritizing purpose, customer care, and teamwork ahead of winning and making money. This might sound counterintuitive. But when you prioritize service to others, the wins rack up themselves. And the money rolls in. And that, to me, is the right way to create high-performance teams.
Core area # 3 – Developing business, leadership, and management skills
One of the biggest problems I see for new leaders is something I call the “Leadership Incompetence Trap.” And its why many managers I meet struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Have you ever thought to yourself, “I’m letting everyone down”?
If so, you might be stuck in the Leadership Incompetence Trap, too.
Because it’s the #1 symptom of not having the business, leadership, and management skills you need to do your new job.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a highly trained developer, salesperson, designer, marketer, educator, or other professional.
You can still fall into the Leadership Incompetence Trap.
Simply because the skills you developed as a “Doer” no longer serve you as a Leader.
And that’s why the 3rd area new leaders must develop is their business, leadership, and management skills.
I ran across so many people who get stuck in this Doer to Leader trap.
If this is you, I hope that these shifts can help with your transition.
R. Michael Anderson
