Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2020 - 17

onal lives - going from a hard working employee to a frontline or first-level manager, supervisor or director. A Care
Zenger Folkman study found it takes 12 years on average for a leader to get any leadership development aimed a
n the resources necessary to thrive in their new roles. Some may think that these new frontline leaders should n
efore - directly lead the largest number of employees over any other managerial population. They have the bigg
new leaders signal the health of the leadership pipeline. Those are significant reasons to reconsider the importan
eir own bosses involved in their leadership development. Having one's boss involved in their development introd
Participating in developmental conversations as part of weekly or monthly meetings can also be tied into a new
ased topics that bosses of new leaders should coach on and points to consider when having developmental conv
avoiding challenges, giving up in difficult situations, and ignoring criticism and negative feedback - to embracing a
ure on the job are part of being a leader, and no one is perfect. They can also create a developmental culture of
s should address the following questions: What are you most afraid of in your new role as a leader? What can I d
done in my situation? So this situation didn't quite work out the way you wanted. What did you learn from it, and
ct reports, so they are not afraid to make mistakes? A Different Skill Set New leaders are often promoted becaus
such as communication and influence. The developmental conversations bosses have with new leaders should a
your team members? If not, how will you have to accommodate to make sure you are fitting their needs in term
logic and data? Are they influenced by values and ethics? How can you become more aware of how people are in
biggest challenges for new leaders is understanding that their relationships with their colleagues has changed fro
work relationships, and teach them to navigate the transition from being part of the team to leading the team. Foc
reative Leadership research: direction, alignment and commitment. Direction - What is the goal and mission of yo
members to understand how each prefers to be managed? Do they know what their exact roles and responsibilit
members? Who does public praise work for? Who does private praise work for? If you don't know, how can you
are unable to stop doing the work, which inevitably gets them in trouble. They fail to understand that they must st
w leaders about the importance of developmental conversations: How do you delegate work? How can you deleg
f feedback you've ever received? How timely was it? Was it positive or negative? Could you give me feedback on
understand that your direct reports need to feel comfortable giving you "upward feedback," and you can start t
rning one's attention from the work and toward the many constituencies, stakeholders, departments, functions a
t positive; it's not negative. It's neutral and part of the everyday circumstances of companies. These conversation
nd motivations? How can your team's goals, missions and motivations fit in with theirs and vice versa? Usually, wh
ality when working across departments and functions that still promotes friendly competition? Emphasizing a Fo
f leadership. Bosses of new leaders should emphasize this sentiment in their conversations. Think about leade

By William A. Gentry, Ph.D.

aimed at helping them be better leaders.
That's a major disservice to those who
are new to leadership and want to
succeed but are not given the resources
necessary to thrive in their new roles.
Some may think that these new frontline
leaders should not be the focus of
development. But consider this: Entryand first-level frontline managers - many
of whom have never managed before
- directly lead the largest number of
employees over any other managerial
population. They have the biggest direct
impact on key performance indicators
like customer satisfaction, employee
engagement and productivity. Moreover,
these new leaders signal the health
of the leadership pipeline. Those are
significant reasons to reconsider the

One efficient and cost-effective way to
help new leaders is to get their own bosses
involved in their leadership development.

importance of this leadership population
and develop them accordingly.
One
efficient
and
cost-effective
way to help new leaders is to get
their own bosses involved in their
leadership development. Having one's
boss involved in their development

introduces and reinforces leadership
lessons while maximizing the chances
that what is learned will stick with new
leadership personnel. Participating in
developmental conversations as part
of weekly or monthly meetings can also
be tied into a new leader's performance
appraisal and formal feedback, which

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Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2020

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