Enabling Growth Through Leadership

As organizations grow, leadership needs to change. As the business grows, the founder or owner transitions from operator to manager to leader. While this transition may sound rather simple, the mechanics of it can be a cause for distraction. It’s like that at the top, as well as with other groups within the business. For example, more often than not the best sales rep becomes the sales manager. Sometimes this works well and other times not so much.

Wired for Results

We are all wired a certain way. This isn’t a good thing or a bad thing, it just is. During the course of your career, there were things that came easily to you and other tasks that you had to plow through to get accomplished. Throughout that, the results often followed similar lines. As you continue planning for growth and working at improving your results, a good exercise would be to assess your key folks. What are they really good at and what are they wired to excel at? Have you put them into a place where they can succeed, and where the company can succeed? Often I see folks in their current role because of their performance in a prior role that required different skills, and different wiring. Not always the best long term strategy.

Timing or Skills

Timing often plays a role in how positions are filled. Needs change, your staffing changes and the need for a different leadership lineup beckons. Don’t be too quick to fill the slots, or move the chess pieces just to plug a hole. Leadership decisions that were made just because of a timing issue usually don’t end well. Focus on the skills, and wiring, needed to be successful in the role and do the best you can at addressing those issues for better results. Stay positive, stay focused and lead your team to be the best that they can be.

Mike Philie can help validate what’s working and what may need to change in your business. Changing the trajectory of a business is difficult to do while simultaneously operating the core competencies. Mike provides strategy and insight to owners and CEOs in the Graphic Communications Industry by providing direct and realistic assessments, not being afraid to voice the unpopular opinion and helping leaders navigate change through a common sense and practical approach. Learn more at www.philiegroup.com, LinkedIn or email at mphilie@philiegroup.com.