Leading Leaders: Navigating Challenges and Empowering Your Leadership Team

There’s a distinct difference between leading individual contributors and leading leaders. The latter is a unique challenge that involves not just managing performance but also influencing leadership behaviors that will cascade down through entire teams. It’s like a ripple effect—your actions don’t just affect one person; they can influence an entire division. You’re tasked with ensuring that your leaders are aligned with broader organizational goals while also addressing their personal and professional development. No pressure, right?

One of the most significant challenges of leading leaders is that you’re operating on multiple levels. You’re not just focusing on individual productivity or performance; you’re thinking about how each leader’s actions and decisions impact the entire organization. Consider this: 58% of middle managers aren’t confident that their concerns are heard by upper-level management, and a staggering 79% say they’re at risk of burnout due to the stress of managing people. These statistics underscore the critical importance of effectively leading leaders—if they crumble under the weight, the entire structure is at risk. It’s time to simplify how to lead leaders.

The Unique Challenges of Leading Leaders

1. The Ripple Effect: When you lead leaders, you’re responsible for more than just their development—you’re shaping the behaviors and attitudes that will influence the broader team and, ultimately, the entire organization. 
2. Advanced Skill Set Required: Leading leaders demands a far more sophisticated skill set than managing individual contributors. It’s not just about ensuring productivity; it’s about strategic planning, business acumen, and the ability to coach and guide others effectively. 
3. You Are a Model: Your coaching style, your approach to challenges, even your demeanor—everything you do serves as a model for the leaders you manage. They may adopt your style or consciously decide to do the opposite, but either way, your influence is significant. 

Embracing the Role: How to Lead Leaders Effectively

Here’s how you can effectively step into the multi-faceted role of leading leaders to accelerate performance:

• Ensure Accountability and Ownership: Your leaders need to feel a sense of ownership over their activities, decisions, and team performance. This is about setting clear expectations and holding leaders accountable in a way that empowers them to take the reins.
• Build Confidence and Capability: Your job is to build the next generation of leaders. This means investing time in coaching and developing their skills, helping them grow into their roles, and giving them the confidence to make decisions and lead effectively.
• Model the Right Behavior: How you lead is just as important as what you lead. Your approach to oppositions, your decision-making process, and your interactions with others all serve as examples for the leaders you manage. 
• Observe and Ask Questions: Instead of jumping in to fix problems, ask questions that guide your leaders toward finding their solutions. This approach not only develops their problem-solving skills but also fosters a sense of ownership over the outcomes.
• Build Relationships with the Larger Team: While it’s crucial to work through your leaders, and not around them, it’s also important to maintain a connection with the broader team. Observe how things are going, check in with indirect reports, and build relationships that reinforce the culture and values you want to see across the organization.

Five Key Competencies for Leading Leaders

To effectively lead leaders, it’s essential to focus on key competencies that will drive success. Here’s what to look for and how to guide your leaders to excel in these areas:

1. Assessing and Improving Performance

• Sets clear expectations and differentiate performance ratings.
• Provides objective, fair, and clear feedback with relevant examples.
• Is able to address uncomfortable situations.
• Links feedback to rewards and recognition.

2. Coaching and Developing the Team

• Prioritizes coaching and development as the primary focus.
• Empowers direct reports to make decisions and learn from mistakes.
• Fosters an environment where strategy is linked to daily work.
• Communicates strategy in a way that is compelling and actionable.

3. Focusing on Strategy

• Understands the business needs and how their team’s work aligns with those needs.
• Eliminates or reduces work that doesn’t support the strategy.
• Avoids getting lost in the details and focuses on the big picture.
• Communicates strategy to team members in a compelling way.

4. Hiring and Selecting Team Members

• Maintains high talent standards with clear expectations for positions.
• Does not feel threatened by talented candidates or avoid hiring the “overqualified”.
• Hires for strengths that complement their own and bring value to the team.
• Knows how to onboard and set new hires up for success.

5. Delegation and Following Up

• Has sufficient time for leadership activities because they are delegating.
• Delegates effectively, giving away both decision authority and tasks.
• Gives up tasks that got them promoted, allowing them to grow into their new roles.
• Checks in without micromanaging, ensuring that teams are on track without stifling autonomy.

The Impact of Self-Awareness on Leadership Style

Self-awareness is crucial when it comes to leadership style, particularly in the context of leading leaders. Natural behaviors, such as those measured by the Predictive Index, can significantly impact how a leader approaches their role. For instance, consider the factor of Formality, which measures the need for rules and structure:

Low Formality: These leaders tend to have an informal communication style and are comfortable going with the flow. They might readily delegate details but struggle to delegate decision-making authority, or they may fail to provide enough structure when assigning tasks.

High Formality: Leaders with high formality are known for their attention to detail and a desire for perfection. They may be reluctant to delegate detailed work and could over-structure the delegation process, aiming for high standards of quality.

Regardless of where a leader falls on this spectrum, self-awareness allows them to recognize their strengths and areas for growth. With this insight, they can adapt their approach to delegation and other key competencies to ensure they lead effectively.

Stepping Into the Coaching Role

As a leader of leaders, your ultimate goal is to help your direct reports own their development. Here are some strategies to keep in mind:

1. Avoid the Fix-It Mentality: Resist the urge to jump in and solve every problem. Instead, focus on coaching your leaders to find their solutions.

2. Discuss Observations and Expectations: Be clear about what you’re seeing and what you expect. This transparency helps build trust and sets the stage for growth.
3. Ask Coaching Questions: Rather than providing all the answers, ask questions that lead your leaders to think critically and come up with their solutions.
4. Communicate the Value of Change: Help your leaders understand the benefits of behavior change and how it will positively impact their teams and the organization.

Empowering Your Leaders to Succeed

Leading leaders is one of the most challenging yet rewarding roles you can take on. By focusing on key competencies, fostering self-awareness, and stepping into the coaching role, you can empower your leaders to excel. Remember, the ripple effect of your leadership extends far beyond your immediate team, impacting the entire organization.

At MindWire, we’re here to help you navigate these challenges with leadership tools and workshops designed to increase effectiveness at every level. Use our Coaching Conversation Prep Form to get started. Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient leadership team that drives success across the board.