Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others. ~Jack Welch
Many of the owners and executives we work with are making the transition from Doer to Leader. They are going from being the best in the room at what they do to being good at letting others being the best in the room.
In his book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, Marshall Goldsmith lists 20 habits that effective Doers NEED TO DROP to become effective Leaders. What these 20 habits have in common is the way the person views his or her role. The Doer sees himself as the central figure in solving every problem or need and isn’t afraid to put people in their place if they challenge this view. The leader, in contrast, sees herself as the facilitator of other people being central figures in meeting challenges. This usually means wrestling with the habits that have kept them as the central figure in the past.
In other words, the challenge of going from Doer to Leader is giving-up everything that has made you successful and turning into someone who promotes other’s success.
Easier said than done.
Goldsmith’s book is a great place to start if you are trying to make a transition from Doer to Leader. Other resources/tools are:
- Join a group to help you make the transition (see here for more information about a group we sponsor).
- Use WordRapport™ Email, our exclusive tool, to get feedback on how you are coming across to others in your email. See here for more information.
- Hire a coach who has made the transition so they can help you navigate it.
Making the transition from Doer to Leader has many rewards. First is you become a more effective executive for your organization. Both you and your organization benefit from that. Also, if you do it well, you will be more relaxed and productive AND your work environment will be more rewarding for everyone!
Contact us if you have questions or other feedback.