Page 257 - Just Promoted A 12 Month Road Map for Success in Your New Leadership Role

242 Just Promoted!

Negative politics undermine face-to-face, direct, and open communica-
tion. Estelle’s broad network involved her in corporate politics, even those that
would not have normally been her concern were she not so intent on advanc-
ing her career.

Failing to Staff Effectively
Many top leaders say that the single most important factor in the quality of an
organization is the quality of its professionals and leaders. Remember the Good
to Great principle of “first who, then what.” Hire the right people, provide them
with the resources and support they need, and then get out of their way.
Staffing is the flip side to delegation. It is difficult to delegate when you feel
the quality of the work will be problematic. A leader needs people whose judg-
ment and quality he or she trusts. If you don’t have them, get some new help.
Joyce, an extremely successful leader, formerly of a Fortune 500 company,
built her success primarily through the quality of her hires. She got the best
people available—even if they cost more. She hired the best—graduates at the
top of their graduating class, from the best schools, alumni from top compa-
nies who could bring those companies’ procedures and winning strategies to
her organization.
Within a year of taking over her organization of 50 people, a third of the
professional staff was new. Veterans who were not productive, who were not
team players, or whose work required constant supervision were eased out.
The new workforce not only had an improved work ethic but its members also
had skills that reflected where Joyce thought the organization should be
headed. Without surrendering any present capabilities, she was able to hire
replacements who expanded the capabilities and quality of the organization’s
products and services.

Not Thinking Strategically
A successful leader must be capable of planning for the future, as well as man-
aging the work at hand. Strategic thinking means thinking in terms of one-,
three-, and five-year plans. You have goals for your organization’s products
and services, and you have operational plans to achieve those goals.
To think strategically also means to think about the future needs of cus-
tomers. It is the ability to extend products and services in ways that build cus-
tomers’ loyalty and their interest in your products and services. It is the ability