Be a Complete Boss: The ABC’s of Leadership for Supervisors
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Free PDF Download “Real World” Leadership - By Glenn Parsons |
The biggest challenge in building supervisory skills is that most “supervisors” don’t have a complete understanding of what it means to be a supervisor. How can anyone build on something that has an unstable or missing foundation? Well, you can’t and you shouldn’t.
One dictionary definition describes a supervisor as “One who supervises; one who is in charge of a particular department or unit”. This is good start but only paints part of the picture; and I see the “being in charge” part at the root of this incomplete definition.
Being in charge of a business unit is comprised of two important elements; (1) the supervisor must be able to run and manage the business; the focus being on process, systems, structure, and performance measures; and (2) the supervisor must be able to inspire and lead the employees; the emphasis being on morale, workplace culture, and professional development. Eventually, one without the other always ends badly. Many argue that the failure of Merrill Lynch in 2008 was, ultimately, a failure of leadership at the company.
I find that the majority of supervisors today are elevated to their position more for their technical (running the business) track record rather than leadership capability. Considering this imbalance I’d like to introduce SKYE’s Leadership ABCs as a framework for building the soft-skills side of the equation:
- ADAPTIVE: Learn how to communicate with different personalities. Becoming more adaptive to and understanding how people are motivated and influenced is invaluable with today’s diverse workforce.
- BALANCED: Find the correct balance between working “in” your business (running it) and working “on” your business (improving it). The chaotic nature of the former often eliminates the time for the latter. Also, balance must be achieved between holding employees accountable and helping them grow professionally. This is not simple with some people – you know who they are.
- CAPABLE: Employees need a role model to help them master the “technical” aspects of their job and become influential communicators. Learn to facilitate problem solving (not solving problems for them) and be the communicator others aspire to be – they will follow.
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Free PDF Download “Real World” Leadership - By Glenn Parsons |
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About the Author: Glenn Parsons Glenn Parsons, managing director of SKYE Business Solutions, is a seasoned executive with a unique blend of entrepreneurial/start up and public company experience. His background and insight positions him well as a trusted advisor and valuable asset to many organizations across several different industries. With a strong legacy of executive sales leadership in venture backed technology firms, his ability to help identify and solve both strategic and tactical issues is demonstrated repeatedly. He is widely recognized for his skills as a leader, communicator, strategic thinker, problem solver, coach and mentor. His relentless focus on growth has positive impact upon revenue, profits, market share, and issues associated with organizations looking to scale. Areas of Expertise: Glenn has assisted many organizations in need of improved organizational performance. Some ways in which organizations have benefited from his efforts include: Improved sales performance and forecasting Background and Credentials Prior to SKYE Business Solutions, Glenn honed his skills in business development, executive sales leadership, operations, and professional services. Glenn's industry experience includes network security, communications, wireless access, enterprise software, and data storage. He has extensive domestic and international experience having established relationships and developed business with organizations in many countries throughout the world, especially in the EMEA and Asia Pac regions. His experience, strategic vision and leadership skills prepared him to serve in a variety of executive leadership roles, especially relating to revenue generation. He has held senior leadership positions at System Industries, Fiberlink Communications, CenterStone Software and VFA. Glenn earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Harvard University and his MBA in High Technology from Northeastern University. He serves on several boards and is active in a number of community and professional organizations. Click here to visit Glenn's website.   Rules of Management An Informal Selection of Favorites Is 2012 The Time for Business Coaching Seven Great Reasons to Engage a Professional Facilitator for Your Next Strategic Planning Meeting Leadership and the Art of Effective Delegation Next Level Down Leadership |
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