Managerial intuition: are you cut out to lead?

In management, every day you deploy techniques that you have been taught, or that you have observed in others and whose effectiveness has imposed itself on you. In other situations, it is instinct or relational intelligence that you have called on.

The techniques acquired are acquired during various challenges encountered during the professional life of a senior executive. They vary in particular with what is called the “box culture” and are not always aligned with your own convictions, or even your morality. The fact remains that these techniques, often modelled and proven, are effective… in their context, in their culture and in their time!

Managerial reflexes, postures and words adopted intuitively and which some encompass in the term ‘Leadership’, are the secret weapon of the cream of managers. Those who know how to get results without sacrificing the commitment and fun of the teams.

 

No recipe, but good practices, instinct and a lot of experience

Acquired or innate, the variables are so numerous, the adjustments so fine, and the contexts so unique that you quickly understand that there is nothing scientific about these techniques. It’s not chemistry: the same actions don’t necessarily provoke the same reactions, to the point that management becomes an art, or even a balancing act, sometimes. I am sure you will agree with that.
This is precisely where the interim manager, in addition to his or her business skills, is a powerful asset in all contexts of transformation or transition. Its adaptability is exceptional and it navigates with ease in unknown waters… because it is able to probe them in a very short time.
Over the years, based on many successful assignments, we have identified that the vast majority of our interim managers tick a certain number of boxes that make them equally effective in the managerial aspects of their assignments.
Based on the work of Julie Zhuo, who is preparing a book on the subject of the acquisition of ‘management skills’ in the company, and by exploring the ‘soft skills’ of our managers and interim leaders, I realized that the checklist is not that long, but that it is selective.

I give it to you here so that you can put yourself into perspective with this list:

1/ You love people

You love them enough to interact with them 10 hours a day without losing your listening.
You love them enough to take them where you know they can unfold permanently.
Their success is your success.

2/ You are not the solution to everything

You are not the best, you are not omniscient, and you have no trouble admitting it.
You instill motivation and a taste for development in your teams so that they go to the solution themselves.
The best coaches are not the best athletes.

3/ Strong team = Effective manager

In the long term, what does your team look like? Is it achieving the expected results? Are you learning from your team? Based on the answers to these three very simple questions, ask yourself the right questions!
You know how to recognize the quality of a candidate as an employee in line with the mission that will be entrusted to him.
The good manager has flair, or a sixth sense perhaps, to surround himself with the right people. He also knows how to attract the right people to his project.

4/ You share your experience and make the most of your height

That’s what distinguishes you from a young manager, by the way.
You know how to manage dead weights, you attach importance to on-boarding, you appreciate seniors in your team, you step over failure to start again even stronger, turnover does not kill you…
We like to work for you because we feel guided.

5/ The why before the how

Demotivation or confusion are the fertile grounds for failure. You know how to convey missions and objectives to obtain the expected results.
It takes time, but you consider it an excellent investment. And it doesn’t matter if you sometimes come across as a broken record: you explain the meaning of the mission more times than you have to.

6/ Sometimes you lose someone

And that’s okay.
Catching up, re-inflating, re-framing, yes! But without relentlessness.
Occasionally, we can move or replace without it being an admission of managerial failure.

7/ Too early rather than too late: the limits of empathy

The decisions that are the most difficult to make must be treated as a priority.
You do not jeopardize the proper functioning of your project/mission by letting a situation rot. You have the managerial courage to make decisions at the right time and with honesty.

8/ Listening is not acquiescence

In management, respect is a desirable bilateral concept, but it does not replace authority.
Collaborative, participative management is good! But the one who decides is you. In the sense of paragraph 5, you will have taken care to explain your vision and your mission. If, however, part of the team disagrees after that, your natural authority knows how to bring down the hammer and drive the nail in the coffin of this new course.
You are the catalyst for your team, not its spokesperson.

These themes often come up in our interviews with our managers and interim leaders and we are happy to see that soft skills are measurable in hard results.
And you, have you ticked all the boxes?

By Philine Klop
Business Support and Marketing Manager – WAYDEN