by Beth Miller

Created on: October 29, 2009   Last Updated: October 30, 2009

Leadership: Trick or Treat?

For all you new leader-managers out there and you know who you are. Until recently, you were performing as a super-star engineer, programmer, scientist, accountant, sales rep, to name a few and then you were offered the opportunity to manage. This step up was what you had been working towards. It is a sign of success not to mention prestige and more money.

Now, how long have you been in this new position? How are you feeling about your new role? Is this new opportunity a trick or a treat?

And what about those managers who have risen up through the leadership ranks and aren't new to the game. How are you feeling about your role these days? With all the stress during these economically challenging times, is leadership still fun? Do you still have the passion?

Turning Leadership Tricks into Treats for New Leaders

All too often, I am called in to work with a new manager who is having challenges with their new role. The company leadership had great expectations for their high potential employee who performed miracles as a line employee, yet was not meeting their expectations in their new management role. The struggling manager is often frustrated in their new role and doesn't know how to make the necessary adjustments to be successful.

What now? If you recognize yourself as one of these managers here are some tips for turning the situation around.

Review your job description and the skills that are needed to support the job. Determine in your own mind, through self-assessment, which skills are ones that you have had little opportunity to develop before moving into the job. How critical are these skills to your future success as a manager? Prioritize the skills you need to develop. Ask yourself; are these skills I am committed to developing? If they aren't then you have a tougher question to ask: Do I really want to be a manager-leader moving forward? What am I passionate about at work? If you are committed to developing the necessary skills then sit down with your manager, review your analysis and jointly create a leadership development plan. For some free and low cost resources visit

Experienced Leaders Moving from Tricks to Treats

All the critical skills for leader-managers are the soft skills, those that relate to interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Unlike intelligence, emotional intelligence can be changed. It is all about choosing how you react in different situations and different types of people. Bottom line

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