Very often the main reason of a “fail” in leadership activities (and actually any other) is just being inexperienced.
But what if it is not the case?
What if you have solid experience, are equipped with proven management approaches, have tons of ideas, and anyway fail after joining a new company, transforming an existing organization, or kicking-off a new startup?
11 years of working in IT made me learn 10 lessons on why leaders of different levels (CTO, VP, Director of Engineering, Team Leader) may fail. They might seem obvious for someone, but I would have given anything to know them earlier.
Bad Advice #1. Choose a position just because of a title and/or money
A sexy title and big money are all you need. These are the only things you need from a new company.
Sarcasm.
There is nothing wrong with the high title or high salary, quite the opposite. But oftentimes, these motivators overshadow major aspects, that may have a much greater influence on your success (and welfare) in the long-term. You might not notice clear stop-signals and get into an alien or even dangerous environment.
Case 1. Assume you are an engineering manager of an interesting project at a stable company. And you are offered a position of CTO in a very early-stage start-up. It’s easy to be tempted and accept the offer thinking: “It’s a really cool title… nice CV record… and the start-up may become a unicorn!”. CTO of 4 juniors, who codes late at night after the main work.
In no case am I against participation in start-ups (I myself launched and killed two start-ups). This is just an example (a real example of my colleague) of a line of thinking which doesn’t do any good.
Case 2. Imagine you’ve been a manager of a project for several years. You built good relationships with the client; established efficient delivery processes; there are things to improve, but sometimes you wonder: “May I need a new challenge?”.
And here is the challenge! A dynamic project, with a new client, free rein, a bigger team, a higher salary. But here are some things: 3 managers already left the project over the past 6 months, team attrition is high, a lot of politics around. As a result, you have to work x1.5 more and to handle infinite client complaints.
Once again, I’m not against such “challenges”. Someone likes them, someone doesn’t. This is also an example of my former colleague. She burned out in less than 4 months and left the company after 3 years of successful work.
It is important that reality meets your expectations.
Useful Advice #1. Working environment first and quick gains (money, title) later!
Before joining a new company, taking a new challenge/opportunity, investigate:
- Company/project/team history.
Is this company a really good fit for you? Are there any reputational issues? Dark facts? - Company/project/team values.
What are the organizational values? Not those written on the wall, but real values which people work and live. - People to work with.
Mandatory step. You must know who are your future colleagues. - Is this opportunity really interesting for you?
Leaving aside the title and money, do you really want this job?
Bad Advice #2. Do not pay attention to the business domain
Who cares what they do? Fintech, adtech, edtech… I’m a manager! Boss! I’ll deal with it!
Sarcasm.
My personal example. I was working as a Senior Delivery Manager (good position TBH) when I received an invitation to take an interview for the CTO position in AdTech company. The first reaction was “Let me try my hands; not sure that they will have chosen me, but that’s a good challenge!”.
After receiving an official job offer my thoughts were: “Wow! That’s the time! I’ve become a CTO! What a title! I’m so cool!”.
Sarcasm again.
Of course, I was also thinking about responsibility, potential challenges, and ideas to realize. But the “CTO” clouded my mind. I missed that the company was not the best fit for me.
As soon as I joined the company, I realized that:
1. All I knew about AdTech was Google Ads… who were all these webmasters, advertisers, organic traffic, arbitrage? No idea.
2. All in all, I didn’t like this sphere.
3. There were too many scum cases in the online advertisement industry (fortunately, this company wasn’t the case).
As a result, the above turned every workday into a struggle:
Useful Advice #2. Working environment first and quick gains (money, title) later!
Repetition is the mother of learning! Investigate:
- Company/project/team history.
- Company/project/team values.
- People to work with.
- Is this opportunity really interesting for you?
Bad Advice #3. Follow the Gulliver effect
What do I call a “Gulliver effect” (you’re right, Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver)?
It is when you just got into a new social environment/community and have a strong belief that you are more knowledgeable and experienced than anyone another. So, you are Gulliver who undoubtedly follows his vision and does not pay attention to the “voice” of “lilliputs”.
They say: “We tried this before, it didn’t work”. You: “Lilliputians, I’ll show you how to do that.”
Or “This isn’t working for us” – “Hey, I know better. It is.”
Or “Strange idea, we do not understand…” – “You do not need to, just do that”.
{Sarcasm}
It is not about being a snob or a proud. No. You really may be the most experienced person. You may think that you are a “father/mother” and they are your “children”… so cute, poor kids. And you know how it should be better for them.
I ought to warn you. In 90% it is not about Gulliver and lilliputs.
It is about a hobbit and dwarfs.
And they will fight for their “land”.
Just imagine, you’ve just joined a new company or a new team, You see that they are just thinking on the ideas/approaches/techniques you already used 5 years ago. Isn’t it a reason to take everything in your own hands? You may think you rescue them… But ultimately, for many, you will become that Snob, you do not want to be. That snob, who won’t be supported.
The Gulliver effect is a frequent mistake of even experienced managers. I’ve seen examples in each company I worked for.
Useful Advice #3. Share your knowledge and teach
- Understand as-is state.
Maybe your colleagues have been working for a while and already failed many times introducing “improvements”; they have a negative experience and simply do not trust in all that. And you come with “changes” again! - Show the difference between as-is and to-be.
It is important that the team understands WHY they need it. - “Sell” your idea.
Explain why there is a basis to try (one more time). What the benefits would be. What conditions to succeed. - Teach and give freedom.
It’s important for the team to be involved into the decision and implementation.
Bad Advice #4. Trust that you are almighty
Trust this! You can do everything you want! On your own! No delegation. No “no’s”.
Sarcasm.
Actually, It is a common sin of newbie managers. The reasons are quite obvious. But even an experienced leader who wasn’t “almighty” before may follow this anti-pattern. In most of the cases he/she is under … the Gulliver effect.
When falling under the Gulliver effect you highly likely start thinking that
- You are the most knowledgeable person in the team, hence
- you can do much more than others, hence
- you are super-productive, and
- your team can’t perform at your level.
The Gulliver effect leads to the dramatic overestimate of existing power. You do not trust in your team. You do not delegate. A number of tactical tasks grows extremely fast. And ultimately you are overwhelmed with the routine, not strategic tasks (your real duty).
Useful Advice #4. Assess (honestly) your capacity and available time
Fortunately, this one could be handled quite easy. The main point is to realize that there is a problem.
- Throw away optional tasks.
- Book time in your calendar for a “strategy”.
- Trust in your team. Delegate.
Bad Advice #5. Prioritization for the weak.
“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.”
― Stephen R. Covey
Hey, you are almighty! You can do everything you want! You don’t need to prioritize!
What could seem more obvious? If you want to fail fast, make no distinction between important and unimportant tasks. BUT! This one is the most typical sin of managers.
When you trust that you must (and, falsely, that you are able to) handle all “super-urgent” requests on your own (reasons are in Bad Advice #3), you leave no time for really important activities.
As with the almighty stance, I realized a lack of prioritization quite fast and prepared a list of priorities to focus on. The problem was that, literally, activities were divided into two buckets: top/not top priorities. Top priorities bucket consisted of about 10 huge and complicated initiatives, that I was trying to carry on simultaneously. It is obvious that some of them were failed or delayed.
Useful Advice #5. Assess (honestly) your capacity and available time
Again, repetition is the mother of learning! The same rules apply as for #4.
- Throw away optional tasks.
- Book time in your calendar for a “strategy”.
- Trust in your team. Delegate.
+ - Set clear priority for each task in your queue.
In most cases, it could be done. And if you have a conflict of interests/or time, you know what should be sacrificed.
Bad advice #6. Listen to your boss, not to your team.
Boss hired me. And Boss can fire me. In fact, Boss is much smarter and more experienced than me. So, who else should I listen to? Well, Lilliputians? Are you joking?
One more sarcasm.
If you want to fail, forget about the opinion of your team, if it contradicts the Boss’ one. Be focused on your Boss and on gaining his/her trust; this is your first task.
And get dissatisfied people, because you do not listen to them, and dissatisfied boss, because… your team is dissatisfied.
Sure, it very depends on the personality of your supervisor. If you have highly skilled, experienced, and, at the same time, imperious micro-manager, I don’t envy you. You have to be ready to defend your and your team’s interests.
Useful Advice #6. Prioritize “team vs boss”
- [Objective opinion]
A manager is a facilitator and a mediator. - [Subjective opinion]
If the above doesn’t work, then the team is more important.
Obviously, leader’s/manager’s duty is to “satisfy” everybody’s needs :-), to be a mediator in conflict situations, to consider opinions and wishes of all involved parties to reach a consensus. No questions.
I’m not talking about corner cases when someone’s point of view is obviously wrong. But you need to remember, that sometimes diplomacy doesn’t work and you have to choose one of the sides. In those moments I truly believe that the team’s side should be chosen. Since the team is a key to success. Not you, nor your boss.
Bad advice #7. Be focused on your tasks. No one should interrupt your thinking.
You are the manager; you develop the strategy; you need to be focused; you need to be alone! Even entering the kitchen for a cup of coffee keep your head in this “strategy”, don’t be distracted by these superficial “small talks”.
As a result get yourself unknown, strange, mute.
There is no problem when you’ve been already working with the team sufficient amount of time. But being in a very new environment (a team, a company) is a whole different thing. A stranger is hard to be trusted.
Useful Advice #7. You won’t be supported unless the team knows who you are.
Fortunately, this is the easiest sin to overcome.
- Just have lunch with your team.
Bad Advice #8. Read “smart” books, take trainings, do not apply new knowledge.
Remember, you are almighty! Read a book and rest assured that gathered knowledge will be applied automatically, without any plans, additional efforts, or setbacks.
My conviction, that any book read (fiction aside), any training, which is not applied in practice is the waste of time and some kind of procrastination.
Well, at least you can post “smart” quotes on Facebook.
Useful Advice #8. Self-education shouldn’t be an end in itself.
I hear a lot, people set themself goals as “read 100 books the next year”, or “take N training”…
And what will that do? What are the benefits? May it be better to read 10 books (trainings, etc.) but apply the knowledge to change your life?
- Stop to set worthless goals.
- Got new knowledge? Apply! Only then look for new one.
Bad Advice #9. Aim to save all employees.
A fairly controversial assumption. But this is my article 🙂
There’s nothing wrong with such a goal, though in normal situation, it shouldn’t be a number one priority.
I do believe that it is virtually impossible to be liked by everyone. I do believe that it is OK, if a part of the team (not 90% of it, of course) leaves the company after they get a new boss. I do believe that in the normal situation you do not need to save 100% of the staff by any means necessary.
Trying to save everybody in the team you could miss those unmotivated or even saboteurs. They could be skilled specialists, who did their job well. But this won’t compensate for the negative influence on others.
Useful Advice #9. You are a mediator, but for the time being.
Sometimes, it is even good to part with team members to keep the team health high.
Bad Advice #10. Try to follow the work-life balance.
My favorite one.
Honestly, I haven’t seen successful managers who have 8-hours workday.
Conclusion
Why should you care?
The most valuable thing we have is time. The higher on the career ladder you are, the longer feedback from a new opportunity is. For a specialist, it is weeks, for managers – quarters, for executives – half-years.
Don’t waste your time!
