If you’ve just achieved a Head of, Director or VP role then congratulations! You probably earned that role because of your performance in your previous role. The problem now is that you’re being asked to do things you haven’t really done before and probably haven’t even seen done very often.

An individual contributor is surrounded by people doing a similar job that they can look to for guidance. A new manager has seen management up close for at least a couple of years. In addition to that managers will usually receive some form of guidance from human resources to help them manage their team. In contrast a new leader may not have seen leadership before. In most departments there is usually only one head of, director or VP and Individual contributors and managers never see them work together. There is very little training available for leaders. There are coaches but they aren’t always made available to new leaders.

Being a successful leader requires a different set of skills and approaches than being a successful individual contributor or manager. Being the best engineer, delivery manager or product manager in your department is not going to make you a successful leader. If you find yourself telling your people to give you what you need to let you write that document, or code or create the plan then you have fallen into the trap of the Super-doer.

In your 1:1’s, your boss may be telling you that they don’t want you to do the job they want you to lead your department. You probably think that the best way to do that is to protect your team from all the pressure you’re experiencing. You’re probably working late and sometimes on weekends in order to get the job done. If this is you then I’m afraid  you are a super-doer, not a leader.

The best description of the role of a leader I ever heard was: To create an environment where the teams can be successful. That is a great test to determine if you are leading or doing. If you are explaining what good looks like, encouraging your people to try and achieve it and you are praising good behaviours, you are creating an environment where people can be successful. If you are frustrated that your people aren’t doing as good a job as you would and you’re taking the work off them and doing it yourself then you’re doing it yourself, you’re not leading.

I know the work is very important. I know the future success of the organisation depends on it being just right. That just means you need to do as good a job as you can of explaining what is needed and ensuring your people have time to do the work, that they have the support they need and that you can work it through with them and guide and, if absolutely necessary re-write the executive summary ;).

When you lead teams well there is a joyous virtuous circle. Not only is the work done well, but you get to help your people grow and experience their excitement as they learn and contribute. All the praise and the glory you heap on your team comes back to you and you get to do that for every team in your department. It’s an incredible feeling. When you are failing to lead your teams well you will feel the burden of all of theIR work, as though it’s all on you so you try and do it and there aren’t enough hours in the day. Your team will seem sullen and frustrated and they may even seem to be working against you.

If you feel like you are failing as a leader then congratulations you’re in good company. Every new leader with an ounce of self-awareness feels that way. The question is will you try and learn how to do it better?