You should have been in some type of supervisory position before moving into IT Management, so I want to take this opportunity to remind you that leaders do not work in a vacuum. They lead teams and those teams consist of people. People with feelings, intellect, hopes, fears, and career aspirations of their own and they will be looking to you for leadership and guidance. How you treat your people will define who you are as a leader and how far you will progress in your career as one. What separates someone who thinks they are a leader, just because they occupy the position, from someone who is a true leader? At a minimum, it boils down to this:
- Directing and Delegating – The first important skill of an IT manager and leader is being able to direct your team and delegate responsibilities. You must not only tell your staff what you need them to do, but you must empower them with the ability to see it through without your intervention.
- Empowering your Staff – What do I mean by empowering your staff? They need to be given the latitude to make decisions to follow through with your direction; without having to worry about you hovering over their shoulder. They also need to know that it is safe for them to speak up when they feel they have a better solution or disagree with your views. Listen to your people; they may have a better path forward that you did not even realize was there.
- Communicating Expectations – It will do you no good to just task your people if they do not know what you expect of them. Communicate with your staff, so that they understand why they are doing what you are directing and what it means to the overall goals of the mission.
- Challenge Your Staff – As your people grow in their jobs, it is important that you challenge them with increasing responsibility to grow their careers. It is important for a leader and especially as a mentor as you develop your people. Don’t just play off of their strengths; challenge them by addressing their weaknesses and give them tasks that will help them to gain new skills.
- Build and be a Part of Your Team – You can’t earn your team’s respect just because you are the boss. You should know the strengths and weaknesses of your people and work to harness their strengths and shore up their weaknesses. You should be empathetic to their feelings and genuinely care about them and their needs. Your team is the key to your success and you need to let them know that you understand that. Respect is, after all, a two-way street.
- Resolving Conflict – Not everyone on your staff is going to get along all the time (sometimes not at all) and you need to be able to step in and resolve the issue. Sometimes this means mediating an argument, but it could also mean that you will have to step in to put a stop to it. Your staff needs to know that you are on their side, even when your decision in resolving the issue goes against them. That does not mean you should be everyone’s buddy; sometimes a staff member will not like you, but if they respect you and follow your lead, you are doing your job.
- Removing Problem Employees – If an employee consistently refuses to comply with your decisions, your directions, or your vision, it could be time to send them away. It is not an easy decision to potentially ruin someone’s career, but there will be times that you are going to have to step up and do the right thing for the morale and welfare of the team and the organization.
- Putting Your Foot Down – There will be times when your staffs push back on a decision or directive that they do not agree with. It is then that you must be strong and put your foot down by directing them to get it done. If you waiver, even a little, you could wind up with a staff that thinks it can walk all over you. Make a command decision and stick with it.
- Taking the Heat – When you empower your people by delegating the authority for them to see a task through, they can – and will – stumble and fall. Failure, as I have said before, is inevitable and is a key learning tool; however, sometimes these failures create ripples across the organization that can make your customers, supervisors, and the front office furious. You delegated the authority for them to do the task and they are accountable for its execution, but you did not delegate your accountability as a leader. Unless the person ignored the regulations, broke the law, or was blatantly negligent in their execution of the task, you need to deflect the heat away from your staff and onto you. It is part and parcel of what defines a leader.
- Reward Good Performance – Everyone wants to know that the work they do is important, necessary, and appreciated. If they are going the extra mile then make sure they are rewarded for it. In our field, job satisfaction far outweighs the paycheck (Pink, 2010), so make sure your people are recognized for their outstanding work.
- Taking Care of Your Customers – Finally, as an IT manager and leader you should be taking ownership of Customer Service. The customers you and your staff serve are your responsibility and it is important that you understand their needs and establish a professional and responsive relationship with them.