Transitioning into a leadership role poses unique challenges. Across all industries, these four competencies are what new managers struggle with the most, but they are the most critical for optimizing team potential to achieve organizational success.
Leading Team Achievement
There are three moving parts to team achievement: direction, alignment, and commitment. Each team should establish organizational goals, and leaders should ensure that their team understands and is aligned on a shared vision. Every team member is valuable to achieving specific goals, so leaders should ensure that each employee understands their role and responsibilities, coordinates their moves, and integrates their work. Everything must fit together cohesively to successfully achieve goals. Lastly, your team should be passionate about and committed to their work and the organization’s success.
Influence
There are four forms of influence: head, heart, hands, and legs. Influencing through the head involves logic, facts, and figures. You should present a logical argument with supporting evidence that taps into a person’s rational and intellectual positions. Influence with the heart connects shared goals and values between you and your peer. Many peers will support ideas that promote feelings of well-being, service, or a sense of belonging.
Influencing through the hands consists of collaboration and sharing others’ ideas to accomplish a mutual goal. Influence through the legs involves leading by example. When you first become a leader, everyone is watching and evaluating you. You can gain the trust and influence of your peers by having strong character and integrity.
Coaching and Developing Others
Leaders should let higher management know when their peers are performing well. It’s important to be supportive of their contributions to the team and the organization’s success. It’s also necessary to provide constructive feedback to your direct reports. This helps them understand where their performance is currently at and how they can improve. Lastly, leaders should encourage growth and development by presenting their teams with challenging opportunities. Coach others when they make mistakes. When your team succeeds, you’ll position yourself as credible with sound judgment.
Communication
Effective communication is single-handedly one of the most critical components of being a successful leader. A common misconception is when leaders think they have effectively communicated when they haven’t. This can hinder your leadership performance and result in drawbacks to the organization’s reputation and success. Effective communication allows you to understand personal or business situations better, solve differences, build trust and respect, resolve problems from both points of view, practice good decision-making, and connect well with others.
Effective communication also requires active listening, saying what you mean to say, being transparent and articulating with your written and oral words, and broadening your communication style. Active listening is just as critical as speaking directly. Let others talk without interruption. When it’s your turn to speak, ask clarifying questions to understand the other person better. Nonverbal cues take the forefront when speaking, so ensure that they always align with your verbal message.
Strong communicators can effectively get their message across to all audiences across various mediums such as written, over the phone, video conference, or face-to-face. Additionally, leaders must understand and learn how to communicate with different personal styles. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, so it’s essential to tailor your messaging and delivery methods to best suit the person you’re talking to and the situation.
About SpecialtyCare
SpecialtyCare is dedicated to becoming the OR employer of choice, providing an exceptional patient experience, and leading the way in OR innovation. Our leadership works as an integrated member of your team, dedicated to helping you build an operating room of excellence and positive outcomes.