Frontline leaders face plenty of challenges. Often it is their first (or only) experience as a leader. And as the face of the organization to the frontline of the organization, their role is critical. Let’s outline seven things frontline leaders can do to make their work less challenging and more successful.
Share the Big Picture More
Many frontline leaders don’t feel they understand the big picture themselves. If that is true, I advise them to be persistent in gaining more knowledge and information. Understanding how their team fits into the strategies and plans of the organization makes them more effective.
Having it for yourself is important, but not enough. Make sure to share it with your team. Just as that perspective helps you, it will help your team too. Are you sharing the big picture clearly and often enough?
Interact More
I don’t need to tell most frontline leaders to talk to people about the work. Seldom is the problem with transacting the business or dealing with daily issues. But having interactions is different from having transactions.
To interact is to talk about more than “the work and the weather.” Spend time regularly building relationships with team members. This isn’t just at onboarding or when there is an issue. Frontline leaders need to focus on building good working relationships with their team members. Are you interacting with your team or just transacting the business?
Ask More
Often frontline leaders are promoted because they are especially good at their work. They bring subject matter expertise to their new leadership role. This is both good and a trap. The trap is that they now feel they are supposed to know everything.
With that “leader as expert” mindset, it is easy to talk sooner and make more statements. The best frontline leaders avoid this trap. How? By asking more questions. They ask to learn, to understand, to engage, and to build confidence. How often are you asking, rather than asserting?
Listen More
Team members share valuable insights and information. But frontline leaders only benefit from it if they listen. (And the less they listen, the less likely that information gets shared). But the reason to listen goes deeper than “getting the info.”
Listening to others shows them we care about their message and about them as an individual. Stated another way, the fastest way to build trust with someone is to listen to them. How often and well do you listen to those you lead?
Clarify Expectations More
The grammar here isn’t perfect (I wanted all of these to be “mores”), but the point is super important. Frontline leaders often know the work of their team well and assume others do too. They get frustrated when people don’t succeed or live up to their standard. The standard is the expectation. Too often, the expectations are assumed, unstated, or unclear.
Frontline leaders (and all leaders) must:
- Be clear on what they expect.
- Share those expectations clearly.
- Ensure understanding.
- Be consistent with them.
Expectations are the definition of success. Without them, how can we expect people to succeed? Are your expectations clear and mutually understood?
Delegate More
There are understandable reasons why frontline leaders don’t delegate often enough. They feel it will take too long to do it, and besides, they can do it better themselves anyway. Both of those reasons are correct – at first. But in a new role, the frontline leader has new responsibilities. They can’t (and shouldn’t) keep doing what they used to do.
Delegation does more than allow the leader to do other things. It builds the skills and value of the rest of the team. Done well, it builds confidence and competence, and helps the whole team grow. If this is your struggle, this short article can help you get started. Are you delegating enough?
Coach More
One of the most important jobs for any leader is to coach others. Frontline leaders, especially early on, often avoid and delay coaching. The reasons are plenty:
- They may be uncomfortable with doing it.
- They don’t want to make people feel bad.
- Or perhaps they don’t make time for it.
Remember that coaching is needed for those who are struggling, but for the rock stars too. If you want to be a more effective leader with a more effective team, you must coach everyone. How often and effectively do you coach your team members?
When frontline leaders do more of these things, they will get better results.
These aren’t in any particular order, but every leader does need to order them. Since you can’t change all of them at once, pick one to start with. Focus on how to do that one thing better. Then, after building that habit, pick another. Consistently and intentionally building these leadership habits will make you more confident, productive, and successful.
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