Are you an Accidental Leader?

Accidental leaders are experts in their field with a high level of education and experience who were promoted into a leadership role based on their hard work and expertise. Or in some cases, are those who did not set out to become leaders, but fell into the role through good luck or being in the right place at the right time. Are you an accidental leader?

LEARNING CENTRE

What To Do About Sidetracks

Ever try to bring up some constructive feedback, only to have it sidetracked? This happens to even the most experienced leaders.

PODCAST

Key Focus Indicators for Leaders

Trench Leadership: A Podcast From the Front

Renée discusses how we can benefit from practicing vulnerability and having authentic conversations with our employees. Host Simon Kardynal tells us he released this conversation for his milestone 75th episode because he found it to be very rich and impactful. Listen now!

ASK A COACH

Developing Leaders

Hi Vivo Team,
I promoted our communications coordinator to manager. She is skilled and experienced, but her direct reports are still coming to me instead of her. How do I help her assert herself?
– Will*

Hi Will,

Your statement: “she is skilled and experienced”—yes, skilled and experienced in communications, as a coordinator, but not skilled and experienced as a leader or manager (yet).

So, your job is to help her learn how to become a better manager. If she’s lacking development, she’s going to become what we call an “accidental leader”, and she’ll likely not succeed in the new role. Here’s what you do:

1. Identify articles for her to read about leadership and management.
2. Initiate/establish weekly meetings with her to talk about (1) what’s going well in her new job and responsibilities, (2) what needs improvement, and (3) what might be missing.
3. Finally, encourage her!

The other thing that’s really important—if her direct reports keep coming to you, direct them back to her.

*names have been changed