Successfully managing leadership transitions

There are many reasons why new managers fail to meet the usually high expectations placed on them or even fail in their new position. This is not always due to the suitability of the person. Often, the expectations of the new leader are not clearly communicated. Or the new manager does not correctly assess the framework conditions in the area and sets the wrong priorities.

When managers take on a new leadership position, they usually need new competencies and must expand existing ones. In addition, they have to demonstrate different leadership behavior in some cases due to the changed framework conditions. Therefore, when executives take on a new position, they should rethink their previous understanding of themselves and their roles and, if necessary, readjust their behavior.

One position but many (management) roles

When leading and controlling a company or an organizational unit, six roles must be distinguished - that of the leader, the manager, the entrepreneur, the expert, the visionary and the strategist (see chart 1):

Depending on the hierarchical level and organizational unit as well as the current situation, the importance of these roles for leadership success can diverge. Ultimately, however, every manager must combine them in his or her person to a greater or lesser extent.

The start is often decisive for success in the long term

In the case of management changes, it is advisable to provide coaching to accompany the change of staff - in other words, coaching that provides advice and support to the new manager when he or she takes up his or her new position and how he or she perceives it during the first 100 days or the first year. During the start-up phase, managers are confronted with many new and often surprising questions and challenges. At the same time, they are under particular scrutiny - from their superiors and employees: What is the new person like? How does he act? Can he be trusted and relied upon? That's why the start-up phase is usually crucial not only for the short-term but also for the long-term success of a manager.

A leadership transition coaching process includes the following steps:

• Step 1: Define guidelines for leadership work. In the run-up to the actual leadership change coaching, the coach discusses with the new manager (and ideally his or her supervisor) how the area should develop. For example, should primarily the existing processes be optimized or is a fundamental renewal necessary? The following applies: The greater the need for change, the more the guidelines have the character of a target image or vision, from which the manager must derive the necessary action strategies and steps, alone or with support.
• Step 2: Identify the role requirements. Once the guidelines are clear, it is important to reflect on which of the six leadership roles are particularly relevant for leading the organizational unit. For example, is "the new person" more in demand as an inspiring visionary, as a manager who empowers employees, or as a manager who consistently implements decisions? In addition, what expectations are placed on him or her in terms of agility, creative drive, change competence, etc.?
• Step 3: Analyze strengths and weaknesses. In the actual coaching, the following questions, among others, can then be worked on - also with test procedures:
  > Which leadership tasks or roles do I prefer and avoid?
  > What am I particularly good at, what should I get better at?
  >Where do I lack knowledge and/or experience?
• Step 4: Analyze opportunities and risks. In the next step, an analysis can then be made - based, among other things, on the challenges facing the area:
  > What opportunities and risks does the new management position offer?
  > What challenges will I face?
• Step 5: Develop leadership strategy. Afterwards, challenges as well as opportunities and risks of the new position can be compared with the strengths and weaknesses of the executive and appropriate action strategies can be derived - e.g. with the help of a SWOT analysis:
  > Which of my strengths can I use to seize opportunities?
  > Which minimize the risks
  > How should I enhance my leadership skills to take advantage of opportunities?
  > Which relevant leadership roles and tasks correspond least to my strengths? How can I possibly organize support for this?
• Step 6: Create a plan of action. Based on this, measures can be defined in coaching with the manager and initial steps for implementation can be developed. The action steps are on two levels: 
  personal level:
  > How can I expand my (leadership) competence and acquire new knowledge?
  > What helps me broaden my perspectives and scope of action?
  > Who can I get advice from?
  > What are my values? What do I stand for? How do I make this visible/experiential?
  organizational level:
  > What are the most important fields of action?
  > What changes need to be initiated? What are the first steps?
  > Which contacts should I make or expand?
  > How do I establish a good relationship with my employees? How do I gain their trust?
  > How do I win them over (in the medium term) for upcoming changes and do I take them into (joint) responsibility?

The leadership change coaching process is not a linear one. It takes place in loops in which the coach and the coachee, i.e. the person being coached, repeatedly go through and reflect on the above-mentioned steps as needed: Does the approach meet the company's requirements and the executive's development needs?

Showing the necessary behavioral confidence in everyday life

To ensure that the insights gained in coaching are successfully transferred to everyday management, further measures can be agreed with the manager in which the coach acts as a supporter. For example, a team workshop is usually a good prelude to

• Agree on shared values with the new employees,
• Agree on rules for cooperation and
• Tuning in to challenges.

However, the support provided by the coach should always be geared to the needs of the manager and the department or company so that the overriding goal of the coaching is achieved. This is to strengthen the executive's competencies in such a way that he or she can perform his or her leadership function professionally and successfully from the outset.

The likelihood of this happening is greatly increased by leadership change coaching, because it provides the executive with a reflection and sparring partner as well as impetus and advice in a phase in which he or she is usually still quite uncertain, but at the same time the focus of observation.

About the author:
Gudula Brammer holds a degree in education and is a certified coach (DBVC). She works as a consultant for Machwürth Team International, Visselhövede (www.mticonsultancy.com) with a focus on executive coaching as well as leadership and team development. Prior to that, she worked for several years in the personnel management of a media company in a consulting and management capacity.