Your First Leadership Job. Wellins Richard S.

his value to the company. But Jack was smart in yet another way: He knew his own leadership heart. Being a leader simply wasn't a role he enjoyed. And he learned that there is more than one way to grow and to succeed. Jack could have benefitted by using Tool 3.1 to reflect on his leadership mind-set.

      Assessing Your Leadership Mind-Set

      In our work with clients, we've developed a set of potential factors that predict the probability of a leader's success. We've condensed those factors into seven clusters of questions to consider as you choose to assume a leadership position.. or not!

      Use this tool to consider your own strengths and motivations. We suggest that you revisit these questions often as your leadership journey progresses. Consider using them as conversation starters with people in your network.

      1. Are you really motivated to lead? Do you have an upward ambition to expand your sphere of influence in the organization?

      2. As you interact with others, do you inspire performance and morale? Do you believe in the strengths of others? Do others look up to you as a leader, even informally?

      3. Are you able to show confidence without being seen as a know-it-all? Do people trust you? Are you willing to be accountable for your own actions?

      4. Are you open to constructive criticism? Do you seek feedback from others? Do you have insight into your own strengths and weaknesses?

      5. Do you learn from past mistakes and success? Do you desire to learn new things? Seek out different experiences?

      6. Do you have a sense of urgency? A desire to get things done? Do you rebound quickly from a setback and continue to pursue your desired goal?

      7. Can you respond effectively to unclear or ambiguous situations? Can you see things in shades of gray rather than black and white? Can you adjust quickly to new situations and people?

      What Do We Really Mean by “Transition”?

      A transition, of course, is a change from doing one thing to doing something new and different. In today's workplace, transitions come in all forms and shapes. It can mean relocating to a new country, moving to a new business unit, or leaving one company for another. All of these transitions come with an abundance of new challenges, excitement, and anxiety. Although you might have experienced many changes at work before now, we're spending extra time on your decision to move into a first-time, frontline leadership role because it is so specific and unique. And transitional challenges don't disappear after your first two or three months. It can take one or more years to get used to your new role.

To give you a glimpse of the big picture, many organizations are using a model DDI introduced over a decade ago called the Leadership Pipeline. The pipeline analogy fits, because the objective is to ensure a ready-now cadre of leaders to move from one level to the next. Figure 3.1 represents a typical pipeline with four levels. Each move from one level to the next is labeled a transition or turn. Most of you reading this book will be making the transition from individual contributor (team member) to people leader (frontline).

Fig 3.1 Leadership Pipeline

      Making the Jump Up

      Each transition carries a unique set of challenges and differs in terms of accountability, decisions, number of direct reports, and so on. When we asked leaders in our study what was most difficult about their transitions, dealing with ambiguity topped the list.5 The percentages add to >100 percent as leaders selected their top three.

      41 % Dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty

      38 % Getting work done through others

      35 % Navigating organizational politics

      34 % Engaging and inspiring employees

      32 % Creating a new network

      In our opening story, Mary was facing a stressful transition. Let's take a closer look at some of the challenges you'll be facing as you make a transition into a frontline position.