Classic rookie manager mistakes

I know I usually don't post anything on Saturdays (especially during college football season!), but I came across an interesting post on my Twitter feed earlier today.  Dushka Zapata confessed to making "8 classic mistakes" of a first time manager (many of which I have made too, as I explain further below each mistake);

1. "I felt I needed to know everything."  There is absolutely no way that a new leader can know everything about his or her job.  Leadership consultant, writer, and former Navy officer David Marquet made a similar mistake when he was assigned command of the USS Olympia, a Los Angeles class attack submarine (as told in his book, Turn the Ship Around).  Before taking command, he studies all of the blueprints on the USS Olympia until he knew every wire, every control switch, and every piece of equipment on the entire ship.  He reviewed the personnel files of every one of his officers and crew members, until he felt like he knew enough to predict how they would perform under stress.  He felt confident that he knew more about his new command than anyone else on the ship.  The only problem - a few days before he was scheduled to assume command of the Olympia, his superior officers told him that he would be taking command of another submarine, the USS Santa Fe, instead.  It was only after he gave an order for the helmsman to do something that was not possible for the USS Santa Fe to do (but something the USS Olympia could have easily done) that he figured out that he could never hope to know every facet of every crew member's job on the ship.  It was only after learning the lesson that he could not know everything - indeed, it was better for the ship that he didn't know everything - that he achieved success.

2. "I gave more work to employees who were already good."  Superstar team members are perhaps a new leader's greatest asset.  Unfortunately, new leaders often have the tendency to give the most difficult assignments to their superstars.  Even worse, these same leaders keep giving assignments to their superstars.  The result?  The superstars are overloaded and fail to live up to their potential and the new leader's expectations.  More importantly, the other members of the team fail to develop to their potentials as well.  Spread the wealth!  Give assignments to your superstars, your high potentials, and the members on the team who need "stretch assignments" so that they can develop their skills, knowledge, and expertise.

3. "I didn't adapt my style to the needs of people who reported to me."  There are a number of leadership styles (known by a seemingly infinite number of names, depending upon the author) - the best leaders "flex" their styles to the individual needs of the situation and their team members.  Some members of the team will need more encouragement and assistance than others.  Some team members will respond better to a "top-down" or "authoritative" leadership style, while others may respond better to a "bottom-up" or "coaching" leadership style.  The important point is that there is no such thing as a "one-size fits all" approach.   

4. "I felt betrayed when people left."  There will always be turnover when a leader begins a new position.  More importantly, if a new leader is doing a good job, his or her team members will be heavily recruited to become leaders themselves!  Don't be offended by team members who depart - it's not always about loyalty, and it should not be viewed as a personal affront to your leadership.

5. "I felt like the happiness of people who reported into me was my responsibility."  Leaders are responsible for making sure that their employees are engaged, motivated, and inspired to give their best performance.  But leaders need to understand and appreciate that there is more to happiness than employee engagement and work-life balance. 

6. "I was bad at delegating."  Of all of the rookie manager mistakes discussed so far, this one is probably the worst!  Our CEO pulled me aside after one of our leadership team meetings and asked if there was anything wrong - he thought that I seemed less engaged.  In truth, there had been a lot going on in the hospital, and I was texting back and forth with one of my team members.  When I discussed this particular incident with my coach, she asked why I didn't just delegate my responsibilities during the leadership team meetings to one of my associates.  I realized that she was absolutely right!  Delegating most of my responsibilities to one of my associates serves two purposes.  First, I can be fully engaged during our leadership team meeting.  Second, and perhaps more important, my associates now have a development opportunity (and an opportunity where I am not far away to provide assistance, if necessary).

7. "I made the company a priority over the person." I just finished reading Simon Sinek's book, Leaders Eat Last.  There is a tradition (actually, it's an expectation) in the military that the officers eat after the enlisted - in other words, leaders place the needs of their team members above their own.  It's a cliché that an organization's greatest asset is its people - cliché or not, it's the absolute truth.  Never, never, NEVER place your own needs above those of your team members.  More importantly, the company doesn't come first.  The people do.

8. "I wanted everyone to be the same." There is strength in our diversity.  Each and every member on our team brings a different set of skills, knowledge, and expertise to the job.  Each and every member on our team brings a different and unique personality and life experience to the team.  New leaders should embrace this diversity.  Don't expect everyone to be the same.  More importantly, don't hope that everyone will be the same.