How can a leader bring out the best in their team? There is no single answer. Different situations and people require different approaches. Jannicke Falkenberg has shared her experiences and reflections at a leadership development program organized by Front Leadership. Read a summary of the most important.
By: Jannicke Falkenberg
Jannicke Falkenberg works with digital strategy, business development and innovation at Storebrand. Throughout her years at Storebrand, she has held various leadership roles and is someone other managers look to as a role model for good leadership. With Jannicke on the team, "you know it's going to be okay", which is why she was invited to a leadership development program under the auspices of Front Leadership.
The various leadership roles I have had at Storebrand have developed me as a leader. The roles I highlight have required different approaches and leadership skills to succeed.
My first management role at Storebrand was what I would call traditional. I managed people with the same educational and experience background as myself, we spoke the same language and were able to challenge and enhance each other's work. I had personnel responsibility, professional responsibility and overall responsibility for results. Still, there was a lot that was new and a little scary. I was a bit alone in finding out what the role of manager entailed, while I was on home ground professionally.
The second management role involved leading a large group of business developers who were to work in interdisciplinary teams where results were to be delivered at a blistering pace. Here I also had personnel responsibility, but was little involved in the individual's day-to-day tasks. That's why I use the metaphor of a boxing coach. The people I managed went into battle alone and then it was my job to sit in the corner and give them what they needed from me as a manager when they were done or needed a little replenishment. Perhaps they needed a motivating word, some professional sparring or help to maneuver in an organization with many different stakeholders. My responsibility was to ensure a match between what each individual wanted in terms of tasks and development, and the needs of Storebrand.
In the third leadership role, I led an interdisciplinary and cross-organizational team consisting of members with different, complementary competencies - developers, architects, designers, consultants, market and business developers. Together, we were to explore a completely new area of innovation at Storebrand. It was important to cultivate interaction and understanding across different disciplines with different backgrounds, languages, world views and working methods.
When you are no longer the subject matter expert, as a manager you have to be a kind of multi-tool, a Swiss Army Knife perhaps? You have to be part scissors, part knife and part toothpick - you have to be humble and curious in order to gain sufficient understanding to be a good sparring partner and set clear expectations. You won't be very good at everything, but that makes it all the more important to be good at gathering everyone around a common vision and clarifying common dependencies.
These three leadership roles have in different ways developed me and my view of what are important leadership qualities.
Interested in leadership development? Read: Leadership development - Why is it so important?
Leader, individual and team are three perspectives that help me reflect on leadership qualities and the leadership role.
The manager's most important task is to set the direction for the work to be done. It must be clear where we are going, how we are going to get there and how each individual contributes to the journey. From stonemason to cathedral builder. As managers, our mission is usually not just to operate the existing, something has to change and a shift has to take place. That's why a leader must also lead the way. Go "to war" with your team and walk the talk - make sure you work and deliver the way you expect your people to work and deliver. If you expect a culture of quality focus, respect and open exchange of opinions, it's your job to show what that means in practice.
I believe there is a lot of potential in everyone, and it's my job as a leader to unlock that potential. Mastery breeds mastery, and by seeing and facilitating the individual, everyone in the team can deliver great results. An important point to achieve this is strength-based leadership. This means that everyone should be allowed to develop and cultivate their strengths, and that the right person is assigned to the right task. Another important point under this is trust. You must dare to let go a little and trust that everyone uses their own and each other's strengths to deliver quality together.
There's a reason we work in teams. We believe that the sum should be greater than its parts, and for this to be realized, everyone needs to understand the value of each other's contributions. When decisions need to be made quickly and close to the problem, vision and direction need to be crystal clear, and your people need to feel that they have the support of you as a leader, without you being involved in every detail. A lean-in culture is definitely preferable, and if you can create shared expectations and a sense of unity, the community will create a secure base for the tasks at hand. This is important to create a constructive exchange of opinions and to achieve good results.
Throughout my career and in various leadership roles, I have gradually developed my own leadership skills. I have tried and failed, reflected and learned, borrowed, collected and internalized a number of rules and practices that help me in my leadership role.
We have all become leaders for different reasons, and sometimes we need to be pushed, and push ourselves a little, to move forward. Very often, it's the last point - toughing it out - that becomes crucial to success. We must persevere and weather the storm in order to achieve our goals in a good way. As leaders, we have to see this through, even if we don't always agree on strategic priorities. Being aware of our own role and the fact that we represent something bigger than ourselves are good leadership qualities. As a manager at Storebrand, I represent Storebrand.
As a manager, you're no longer the one who has to be in the sun, now you have to create the conditions for your people to shine. In a way, you are the gardener who makes sure the garden grows and flourishes. The goal is for the team to be able to deliver together without you as the leader controlling everything. Mastery, trust and clear expectations work together to create a breeding ground for the team to deliver good results.
Expectations are important to be clear, not necessarily in detail on deliverables, but in terms of what you expect in terms of quality and dialog. This also includes what your team expects from you as a manager. "The fish must be on the counter", as Anita Krohn Traaseth put it so nicely in an interview. If something goes wrong, it's always best to address it early, before the "fish" starts to "smell". Things rarely just sort themselves out.
Balance in life is important for performance at work. As managers, we should of course not interfere in people's private lives, but it's important to be aware of the balance. We don't operate an assembly line production, but have skilled employees who need to perform and deliver over time, and perhaps perform a little extra every now and then. So it's important to have a regular replenishment of energy. I use deadlines as a conscious tool to speed up the work, but the balance must be manageable and motivating.
I've found that it's easier to create good relationships if you, as a manager, offer a bit of yourself. If people lower their shoulders, understand each other and can laugh together, they often deliver better. My principle is that even if the day is full, I always have two minutes available. It's more difficult now that so much happens digitally, but it's all the more important to do it. I also have to remind myself that I have two ears and one mouth. One of several good leadership skills is listening. Active listening often leads to people solving challenges themselves, which has a far greater effect than if you come up with the solution. This is also linked to treating others the way you want them to treat you. If you manage to do this, it always gives the best results. It's not easy, and the role can be both difficult and lonely at times, but remember to make use of everyone you have around you. There is always someone you can spar with.
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At the end of the day, it's important to always be clear about the goals you want to achieve. It doesn't matter how good a leader you are if the results don't materialize.
Fortunately, there is usually a link between well-functioning teams, good leadership and good results - and there are few things more fun than setting ambitious goals and achieving them together.