New leaders must recognize that the mindsets that helped them succeed as individual contributors may well hinder their success as managers, and they need training on how to shift these mindsets to those required for effective leadership.
by Heide Abelli
March 6, 2023
U.S. companies spend millions on first-time manager development programs, but 60 percent of these new managers fail within the first two years, indicating a poor return on that investment. These programs tend to focus solely on teaching managerial skills and competencies, but neglect to address the three critical mindsets required for success in a new leadership role.
While skills like budgeting, meeting management and setting team KPIs are all important, simply providing training in skills does not go far enough in preparing these individuals for a very challenging transition.
New leaders must recognize that the mindsets that helped them succeed as individual contributors may well hinder their success as managers, and they need training on how to shift these mindsets to those required for effective leadership. Unfortunately, most new manager development programs do not cover this crucial area. Mindsets are essential drivers of behavior and they can be developed through training. What are these critical mindsets that should be part of every new leader development program?
Mindset No. 1: The ‘self vs. team’ mindset
Individual contributors operate with a “self” orientation. They regard work as a chance for self-advancement, and they strive for the recognition associated with personal success. They know that they are measured on the work they perform as individuals. However, when promoted into a leadership role, the mindset needs to shift from self to team. The focus must be redirected from succeeding as an individual to fostering the success of the team. If a new manager neglects to make this mindset shift, they can fail. A new leader that seeks an “I” in team will not be successful in inspiring others to follow them. The team they lead has a much greater chance of being dysfunctional, non-collaborative and lacking in motivation and connection.
New leaders must pivot and adopt a “team mindset.” They must begin to view their work as an avenue for contributing to the success of the team they lead, not as a means to further their individual interest. When the team sees that the leader works in service of the group for the benefit of the collective, they are inspired to strive for excellence and show a higher level of commitment.
Mindset No. 2: The ‘problem avoidance vs. solution engagement‘ mindset
Individual contributors whose egos are closely tied to the positive feedback they’ve received for their abilities, knowledge and skills can be reluctant to engage in any effort that might cause others to question their capabilities.
As a result, individual contributors actively avoid situations or circumstances where they might make mistakes or need to highlight problems. They lean into circumstances that validate their competence and lean away from circumstances that do the opposite. They adopt a problem avoidance mindset. This mindset causes individual contributors to be reluctant to take on ambiguous challenges or risky opportunities out of a fear of failure. They know that they are not in control of the resources, support and even knowledge they might need to succeed so they’d rather not risk it. As a result, they pursue certainty and the status quo in order to protect their self-image and reputation.
Leaders, on the other hand, must challenge the status quo, pursue innovation and be open to change. They cannot afford to be too risk averse. They must imagine new possibilities and cannot be weighed down by the challenges or problems they may face in pursuing them.
New leaders must pivot to a solution engagement mindset. This can be especially challenging for more risk-averse personality types. There is a certain level of personal discomfort that comes along with making this mindset shift. And yet, if new leaders fail to make the shift, they will be stifled in their leadership roles. They will struggle to embrace change initiatives. They will find it hard to be adaptive and flexible. They will crawl toward the comfort of the way things have always been done, rather than pushing for a better way to do things. Leaders cannot be afraid of embarking on the unknown or taking on the hard stuff out of a fear of failure. Leaders need to set challenging goals, manage complex tasks and risk making mistakes.
Mindset No. 3: The ‘rigid execution vs. flexible adaptive‘ mindset
Individual contributors who come onto the radar screen for leadership roles are often excellent at execution. They get the job done right and on time. When it comes to making decisions, individual contributors focus on the pragmatic aspects of implementing the decision they’ve made.
But with a laser focus on execution, they miss information and signals that might lead to a change in approach. They can be resistant to new information suggesting a different course of action, especially if that information goes against their strong opinions and beliefs. They might block out important information or disregard it. To them, what’s most important is getting the job done without distraction and delay.
When new leaders are overly focused on rigid execution, they become resistant to change and innovation, which can lead to missed opportunities and a failure to stay competitive. Leaders who are overly focused on rigid execution may also struggle to adapt to new situations and changing circumstances. They resist feedback and new ideas, which can lead to a lack of growth and development, and prevent learning. Rigid execution mindset leaders also create a rigid and inflexible work environment that stifles creativity and innovation, which can lead to decreased team engagement and motivation. They often struggle to foster collaboration, leading to working in silos and a lack of cooperation. Finally, leaders who are overly focused on rigid execution may become so concerned with their own processes and procedures that they lose sight of the needs and perspectives of customers and other stakeholders.A new leader’s failure to pivot away from a blind execution mindset toward a flexible adaptive mindset can have disastrous consequences for an organization.
Instead, leaders must be open to new insights and information that challenges their existing views. They need to seek out the best ideas and the strongest approaches before creating a plan, making a decision or drafting a strategy. They need to embrace the best ideas that emerge from a diverse set of opinions. They also must accept that initiatives, courses of action and strategies shift as information and understanding increase. They have to be open to feedback.
In this sense, they need to be agile in their execution. Leaders with a flexible-adaptive mindset are able to adapt to new situations and changing circumstances, helping organizations remain nimble and responsive to the needs of their customers and stakeholders. Flexible adaptive mindset leaders are also skilled at fostering collaboration and teamwork, helping to build strong, cross-functional teams.
The reason why new manager training programs fail is because they neglect the critical need for inexperienced managers to understand and change the underlying mindsets that shape their behavior. Development programs should place emphasis on training managers to recognize that the mindsets that made them successful individual contributors may impede their success as new managers.
To help individuals make a successful transition, new leader development programs should prioritize training on the three critical mindsets. Through online courses, role-playing exercises and coaching sessions, managers can receive targeted interventions to shape their mindsets. Without this understanding and support, many new managers will fail despite conventional training in leadership skills.
