PAPER making! g FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF PAPER TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL Volume 7, Number 3, 2021
3. Communication Communication is a core leadership function, requiring the ability to think with clarity and to express ideas and information to a multitude of audiences. Effective communication is also about listening, asking questions, and aligning words and actions. At work, we need to be skilled communicators in countless relationships — at the organizational level, and sometimes on a global scale. Today’s leaders must also learn to handle the rapid flows of information within the organization and among customers, partners, and other stakeholders and influencers. 4. Influence This means gaining cooperation to get things done. In today’s flattened o r matrixed organizations, position or expertise alone doesn’t give you influence. You may be met with resistance or compliance, but what you — and your business — need is commitment. It’s important to develop a range of influencing styles to help you get different people with different perspectives on board. 5. Learning Agility Seek opportunities to learn and learn quickly. To be good at anything requires some knowledge, skills, and technical know-how. But what separates the remarkable middle managers from the merely good ones is the ability to adjust, adapt, respond, and be resourceful in the face of change. So always keep learning; it’s how to enjoy a long career. 6. Self-Awareness When you truly understand your own style, motivation, strengths, shortcomings, quirks, and preferences, you’re better equipped to make day -to-day decisions, leverage your strengths and minimize your weaknesses, and navigate the big picture for yourself and for your organization. If you’re leading from the middle, you’r e in the right place to collaborate with other managers to generate new ideas and solve problems. Middle managers can gain great experience, be involved in interesting work, have significant organizational impact, and enjoy long careers. In short, those w ho are able to harness and develop the 6 leadership skills listed above can truly “lead from the middle” effectively. They’re also more likely to advance, keep their careers on track and avoid derailment, and better able to manage not only work obligations, but also family, community, and personal demands. Developing Middle Managers Through Leadership Training Managers who spend significant time leading from the middle must give up the need to constantly please. As you’re pulled from all directions, it’s i mportant to stay focused on thinking and acting systemically by seeing the big picture and understanding how the various parts of the organization function together. As middle managers learn how to get things done with the help of others, they become more effective leaders. “The higher up you go, the more you have to learn to work through other people and influence the system,” Sinclair says.
https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles
Article 10 – Management
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