Six Hats New Leaders Must Wear (and Pray They Fit)

Someone noticed something about you and your work in the past and was impressed. And today, you’re promoted to supervisor, manager or team leader. Soooo … now what? I mean, sure you’re good at your job, but you haven’t had to lead a group of people since college and you’re a little unsure of what to do. Back then you had the time and energy to pick up the slack for someone that wasn’t pulling his or her weight, but now you’re the boss and this is a whole new game.

Relax … everyone that leads people is unsure of themselves from time to time. Just know that being a leader means carrying a lot of responsibility and wearing a lot of hats. Oftentimes, you’re wearing several hats at the same moment.

Being a good leader that people want to follow takes many different skills and encompasses distinct roles. I’ve boiled them down to the six basic roles —or, hats — that every leader must take on:

1. Director — Just like a movie, nothing happens until you say, “Action” and it won’t stop until you say, “Cut!”  Plus, the job doesn’t end until you exclaim, “That’s a wrap!”

• Help the team discover its common purpose and get team members started in the right direction.
• Find creative ways to gain buy-in to important team objectives and goals.
• Directors tend to use an authoritative approach to leadership.
• Use SMART ways to get them to adopt a team mindset (Specific, Memorable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound).

2. Teacher — Potentially your most significant role with your staff is to help them grow as people and as employees.

• Explore the team’s roles and priorities
• Teach them how to play off one another’s strengths and limitations
• Provide members with training on elements of a team and team building, conflict resolution, and problem-solving

3. Coach — Sometimes they need a pat on the back and sometimes they need a kick in the butt.

• Provide the resources and time needed to get the job done to agreed-upon standards
• Help them develop discipline
• Remediate or step in as necessary
• Give constructive feedback
• Praise and show gratitude
• Encourage them to take appropriate risks.

4. Cheerleader — Employees will gladly work twice as hard when they know you’re in their corner and got their back.

• Create an encouraging environment
• Communicate the value and worth of everything they do.
• Get the team involved in worthwhile teambuilding activities.
• Try to eliminate any de-motivating factors that exist on the team.

5. Counselor + Facilitator — Even the best teams need help and advice now and then.

• Guide the team through meetings and efforts, letting them take on more responsibility for leadership as they show readiness.
• Ask open-ended questions to get them thinking on the right track.
• Avoid close-ended questions whenever possible.
• Provide support and resources when needed or requested.
• Offer clarification and verification whenever needed.
• Let them come up with their own roles and goals whenever possible.
• When it comes to solutions, guide—don’t push.

6. Delegator — The ultimate sign of faith and trust is letting your staff take over certain responsibilities.

• At this point, your team is ready to take off and virtually manage itself for the most part.
• Trust your team members to come to you when they need more direction or help.
• Be ready to step in and shift to a fresh style if the team begins to lose ground (perhaps going back a stage). Handle things quickly if new team members come on board or if unresolved conflicts exist.

 

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Obviously, there are a lot more hats managers and leaders wear around the office (zookeeper, warden, and referee among others), but these six are the critical ones that will lead you and your team to success quickly.