Talent Keepers

Chapter 3Leaders and Their Impact

We recently facilitated a leadership development program for a large cable television operation in the upper Midwest. During that time, we had the occasion to meet a supervisor named Madison. At the ripe old age of twenty-three, Madison’s new supervisory role was one of the first jobs she ever held out of college, and by the time we met her, she had only been working in the role for six months. Naturally, this meant that she spent much of the morning with that deer-in-the-headlights look so familiar to many training professionals. So during the first break, I sought her out and initiated a conversation.

“I’m curious, Madison,” I said to her, “how prepared do you feel for this new leadership role of yours?”

“Truthfully?” she said. “I don’t feel at all prepared.”

She went on to describe all the technical and operations training she had received as a new leader, and while she thought that was helpful, she also believed that it lacked in the kind of guidance and skill-building she needed to handle the wide array of individual and team situations that a leader is expected to handle. Even employee issues as straightforward as repeated tardiness created a challenge for her. How should she handle something like that with someone who once was her peer? Never mind the time she had to address another team member who made an emotional outburst about the unfair way that the leadership team determined work schedules.

“The transition has been a little jarring,” ...