Introduction: “Why need for a transition”

Human beings generally thrive on personal achievements. True leaders, on other hand, thrive on achievements of their team members. Highly effective leaders guide, assist, and coach team members rather than do work themselves. Successful leaders learn to trust others and spend time developing people. They often do not possess these abilities when they first assume a leadership position. These abilities develop over time. New leaders can create a rift with employees because leader may become too “hands on,” thus frustrating employees with too many controls and over supervision. The transition to leadership may also create some personal tension because leader’s self-worth now depends on efforts of others. In short, a successful transition to leadership means leader’s have to shift their orientation and source of self-esteem, develop confidence in others and derive satisfaction from their achievements.

The Substance: “How to make transition.”

Successful leaders re-define their need for power and control. Team members normally value a certain amount of freedom and autonomy. People want to influence events around them and not be controlled by an over-bearing leader. When you are individual contributor, close to work itself, you are master in control of your circumstances; your personal performance has a big effect on your satisfaction and motivation. The situation is different when you become a leader. Your personal contribution is less direct; you often operate behind scenes. Coaches work best from sidelines and during practice and intermission, not when lights are on and game is under way. Leaders create frustration for everyone when they try to be involved in every project and expect team members to check-in before beginning every task. World-class leaders delegate. They learn to trust. This means giving up some control. Leaders learn to live with risks and knowledge that someone else may do things a little differently. Every person is unique, and they will individualize certain aspects of their work. When leaders don’t empower and delegate, they can become ineffective and overwhelmed. In turn, team members feel underutilized and therefore less motivated.

Finally, leaders learn to transition in other critical ways. They learn how to live with occasional feelings of separation and people don’t always accept their decisions when faced with gut wrenching situations. Leaders have a view of big picture in mind. But challenge for leaders lies in balancing needs of many stakeholders: owners, employees, customers, and community. Because of this challenge, team members can feel alienated when unpopular decisions must be made. Leadership can be hard. It is impossible to please everyone all of time. While need for belonging and connecting with group is important, leaders know mission and vision takes precedence. Sometimes a leader should make waves, champion change, and challenge people’s comfort zone. Leaders may not always relish conflict, but they are not afraid of it either. Leaders are guided by standards, principles, and core values. Leaders focus on what is right, not who is right.

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Summary: A leader who wants to consistently motivate people to meet tough challenges and achieve extraordinary results must have a kind heart.

Make The Elephant Jump -- Leading With A Kind Heart by Brent Filson

Leadership is not about getting people to do what they want. If they did what they want, you wouldn't be needed as a leader. Instead, leadership is about getting people to do what they don't want to do (or don't think they can do) – and be ardently committed to doing it.

This paradox lies at heart of all great leadership.

Unlike management, which involves simply care and feeding of your organizational elephant, great leadership gets that elephant to jump.

Anyone who knows anything about elephants knows that they may run, they may stand on their hind legs, they may kneel on their fore legs, they may roll over; but they don't jump.

And that's what leadership is all about: getting organizations to do what they usually can't do, i.e., getting great results consistently.

Now, you can't do jumping yourself. The elephant must do it. You can't push elephant into air. It must jump of its own volition.

Making elephant jump involves cultivating a special relationship between leader and people of organization.

Many leaders misunderstand that relationship. They try to use fear and pain to spur activity needed to achieve consistently great results. "Sure, I'll get this elephant to jump. Just give me a cattle prod!"