Making the transition from manager to leader: tough tribution, Anne found herself blind-sided by a pro- lessons on the road to leadership posal for a radical reorganization that came from outside her division. Accustomed to planning for annual improvements in her basic business strategy, she failed to notice shifting priorities in the wider market. Although she had built a loyal, high-perform- The call for better quality leadership in politics and organizations is now widely heard and often repeated. Simply stated, leaders are people who establish new directions, gain the support, coopera- tion and commitment of those they need to move in that new direction and motivate them to overcome obstacles to gaol achievement. There's also good ing team, she had few networks outside her group to help her anticipate the new imperatives. Worse, she was assessed by her boss as lacking the broader business picture. Frustrated, Anne contemplated leaving. Anne's predicament is not unusual. The most common learning challenges for aspirational leaders are the following: Case example ... agreement about what leadership is not. Leadership differs from management, an equally valuable but different set of activities. Leadership development is not a smooth, contin- uous or incremental process, but is punctuated by inflection points. These key junctures, which Herminia Ibarra (2004) calls leadership transitions, are the points in a person's career at which they either learn how to lead or become derailed. A tran- sition is a move into a new role - whether formal assignment, a project, or a role imposed by an unex- which is so pected event such as a crisis fundamentally different that the old ways of operat- ing are no longer valid or effective. Consider the experience of Anne - after a steady se through the functional ranks in logistics and dis- FT Learning to see, not just produce good ideas Communicating clear messages that have emo- tional impact Delegating and involving others Improving social skills, such as empathy, listening and coaching. Consider the experience of Jeff - he is a general manager of a consumer product subsidiary and was leau 2 The incre stat fra de 3 What do I want to become? What do I like to do? Do I have what it takes to learn a different way of oper- Ibarra suggests that there are three things in par- ticular that can help support leaders to change; praised by his company for his turnaround skills. But after three or four successful assignments he found himself in trouble at all levels. His relationship with ating? Is it me? Is it worth it? suffered from miscommunication and mutual lack of an older, more conservative colleague in marketing trust. At each point of disagreement Jeff had taken motivation, practice and feedback, and coaching. over, at times doing his colleague's job. After this, he received his first poor performance review. His man- ager questioned his ability to delegate and to communicate laterally with other groups within the company. He sought and gained the motivation, organizations will better prepare promising managers practice and feedback that ultimately broadened his If we consider Anne and Jeff's transitions, in each case the most important changes to be made involved not skills but values. With greater attention to the leadership transition as a personal passage, for leading roles in the business. leadership style. These examples suggest that the leadership tran- sition can provoke deep self-questioning. Who am I? Indicative resources Source: Ibarra, H. (2004) "Tough Lessons on the Road to Leadership', Financial Times, 5 August, 2004, p. 11. 27 Case exercise 1 From definitions and discussion at the beginning of the chapter and key points raised in this illustration, what do you consider to be the main differences between management and leadership? Share your response with others to assess whether there is a general consensus. 2 The illustration suggests that leadership development is not a smooth, continuous or incremental process, but is punctuated by inflection points'. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Support your arguments with theoretical frameworks and examples you may have from your own experience or through examples you have researched in the general business domain. 3 In relation to the 'management of change', is there anything that Anne and Jeff could have done in relation to their roles to have assessed their environment more effectively and help them better prepare for the changes within their organizations? 4 From areas discussed in this chapter, is there anything the organization could have done to better prepare Anne and Jeff for the changes in their roles?