They all leave at a certain point. Some arrive at that point sooner than others and when people work together, arrival at that point when they leave an organisation can be hastened by the exodus of their colleagues.
Unfortunately for you, you rose to the team leader’s position under 12 months ago. You’re excited about finally getting to the helm but the rate at which team members leave can be alarming. Worst still, you may not have anyone to lead let alone deliver on your mandate if this keeps up.
Was that a certain uncomfortable feeling you got at last week’s management meeting? You’re still new at this leadership thing.
Three of four high performers leaving from your docket with a quarter could cast aspersions on your management or people skills or worse still, both. You‘ve got to do something to “save” the situation before it gets worse, you think.
This is your chance, it is going to require a team to make it. The stakes are high – from here you are well-placed to hit the big leagues. If not within, then at a different company. It is nearly a do-or-die situation for your career.
Perhaps you’ve been too firm, even a little harsh. Yes, it might be the reason behind the exodus from your business unit. You go on the charm offensive with the team members that you still have in the hope that it helps your likability quotient.
A little tardiness here; “oh it is alright, just try to be prompt, ok?” A deadline on a crucial report was nearly missed there; “oh well, it is not the end of the world, let us look at what you have and put something together before the 9 am presentation tomorrow”.
Three months down the line, you barely look up from your computer whether you’re working or with your family, The “team” seems happy and you have a fairly good sense that you are all getting along so you will retain – just until you “prove” yourself.
Exactly six months later, you’re flat-out exhausted. This leadership thing isn’t too rosy after all. You seem to be doing more work than you know you should, but you’ve chosen to lift the whole department’s weight on your shoulders and you’re buckling under the weight of it all.
You’re getting resentful with each project that you find yourself needing to take over from a team member because “the buck stops at you”. That’s true.
However, teams by their very nature mean, division of labour. Something has got to change fast. No, not something. Someone. You.
Yes, you’ve got to change pronto. Imposter syndrome, fraudster feeling, novice leader disorder, or whatever others may call is of little import. What you’ve got is one of the best learning opportunities.
One of the best ways to learn is to stop everything and ask yourself a few fundamental questions. Why do you think that it is up to you to keep employees from leaving just because you’re now a leader? Does it occur to you that your organisation may not have been a good fit for those who left and their exit therefore good for the company?
Other people’s decisions usually have very little to do with you. Why would you take up the burden of the void they left? Is relaxing your expectations of the remaining team the best way to keep them from leaving too?
Has it occurred to you that your charm offensive is a sign of your insecurity and that your current team cannot only sense it but is loafing around while you buckle under the workload? Why have a “team” if you’re doing all the heavy lifting? You get the idea.
Some helpful points that to bear in mind are:
· Your promotion is recognition of your performance. If that dips, you dip. Leading others means inculcating your desirable professional traits in your team members, not taking over their work.
· Leadership is not about motivating because motivation doesn’t last. Your role is to inspire them to do better, achieve more and become greater than they are. If you think that you need to become them and play their roles, perhaps you’re yet to grow into leading others.
· People leaving the organization is not necessarily negative. In fact, you might want to “help” more of them to leave if you must fill in for them just to keep them. Remember that firing is as important as hiring. Leadership is not a popularity contest.
This is the reason why leaders are compensated at a markedly higher level; they’ve got to do the unpleasant yet important job of letting others go to build better crops of team members.
Keeping dead weight for social aesthetics robs you of much-needed balance in your work, lowers the performance bar, and puts your own position on the chopping block.
