What got you here won't get you there
Have you heard this saying before? I've witnessed several leaders, to their own detriment, fail to understand this. Leaders or potential leaders are bestowed positions of authority and rank based on skill, intelligence, character, and a passion to lead. But what got a leader to a certain position won't necessarily get them to the next.
This typically occurs in the transition from a tactical or direct leadership position to a more strategic one. A leader may have been outstanding at forming a team and tackling the toughest missions but if they fail to see and understand the bigger picture, they may not be fit for leadership at higher levels. If they cannot display a cursory understanding of strategic ends, ways, and means and link them to tactical action, they may not 'get there.'
There is a maturity level required for advancement which some leaders fail to achieve. Maturity happens (or should happen) with age and experience. The ability of a leader to interact and influence senior leaders, people who live in the strategic is a requirement for advancement. I've witnessed leaders who fail to grow up. They enjoy the tactical so much they prefer to stay there regardless of the requirements of their position.
In senior leadership positions, leaders shift from direct control, where they can personally orchestrate action and shift a team's efforts in rapid fashion to collaborative and influential roles where they lack direct authority. Senior leaders engage stakeholders and build consensus. They cannot turn their organization on a dime. It takes time and patience and if a junior leader cannot make that transition, they may not get there.
It is, of course, the duty of senior leaders to identify potential in younger ones and afford them the opportunity to interact with senior leadership and 'see' the bigger picture. From an individual standpoint, younger, more tactical leaders must make a concerted effort to study and understand the strategic mindset of senior leaders. They must seek opportunities and practice interacting around senior leaders curious as to how they succeed and fail.
Leaders climbing the ladder and those above them both have a stake in this advancement. The first step is recognizing that and working together to 'get there.' I can help!
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell