From the way you describe your experiences, it sounds like you’re a young adventurer on the journey.
These things come in their own due time, and if they are appropriate, they will mature and flourish from within you.
You will be chosen when there is a need, and you are able.
In the meantime a few thoughts to prepare yourself.
- be superbly well organized. Take written notes. Compose your thoughts carefully (self edit.) provide written accounts to your overhead as well as peers/delegates.
- know your stuff. Go the distance to prepare and know that the best answer is never the most exciting, it is the most EFFECTIVE.
- A leadership position is not one of vanity or even “self development”, it is one for getting the job done in the most stable, reliable, measured, and complete way for those who pay you to solve their problems.
I would choose someone boring and methodical to lead over a hotshot any day.
A leadership position is not one of vanity or even “self development”,
No, it is a position where you have to implement the vision of your boss. It's a position where you're a slave. If your boss is a good one (who listens, helps and defend), you'll be a happy slave. If your boss is not, you'll have to do things against your own will and convince your team that it's good for them. Many people can do that but a lot more can not.
So the first time you'll have a proposal to be a manager, be sure to be able to recognize if your boss will be good or not. That kind of information is best gathered by participating to extra-work activities where you can get "off the record" information. And that prepares you to be a boss: much of your work happens outside of your team, in informal contacts.
I went from a being a manager with a good boss, to a manager with a bad one. It is such a different experience, and is making me change back to an IC role for my own sanity.
1. Mature leaders do not work under bosses (unless their greed meets really good salary). There are plenty of places to work at without top-down culture.
2. Mature leaders have values and personal agenda.
3. Mature leaders have manage-up skill and use it to align their manager expectations with their values.
Even the most powerful CEOs answer to the Board (which are essentially their boss), with few exceptions. And for those exceptions (Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk etc.) probably aren't what most people call "mature".
I think you misunderstood that point. There’s a difference between a leader and a boss in the style of management. In old school command hierarchies managers are bosses and give orders. In modern people-oriented structure managers act as an oil in the engine, enabling their direct reports to achieve their goals with their knowledge and skill. They may not know better, but they know how to delegate and trust.
Yeah, well, sure... but also don't be shy to ask for what you want (you know... "in due time"), because many managers will maintain the status quo if they can, and definitely not volunteer to promote you out of being a great individual contributor at their own expense of having to replace you.
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I question your motives.
From the way you describe your experiences, it sounds like you’re a young adventurer on the journey.
These things come in their own due time, and if they are appropriate, they will mature and flourish from within you.
You will be chosen when there is a need, and you are able.
In the meantime a few thoughts to prepare yourself.
- be superbly well organized. Take written notes. Compose your thoughts carefully (self edit.) provide written accounts to your overhead as well as peers/delegates.
- know your stuff. Go the distance to prepare and know that the best answer is never the most exciting, it is the most EFFECTIVE.
- A leadership position is not one of vanity or even “self development”, it is one for getting the job done in the most stable, reliable, measured, and complete way for those who pay you to solve their problems.
I would choose someone boring and methodical to lead over a hotshot any day.
No, it is a position where you have to implement the vision of your boss. It's a position where you're a slave. If your boss is a good one (who listens, helps and defend), you'll be a happy slave. If your boss is not, you'll have to do things against your own will and convince your team that it's good for them. Many people can do that but a lot more can not.
So the first time you'll have a proposal to be a manager, be sure to be able to recognize if your boss will be good or not. That kind of information is best gathered by participating to extra-work activities where you can get "off the record" information. And that prepares you to be a boss: much of your work happens outside of your team, in informal contacts.
I went from a being a manager with a good boss, to a manager with a bad one. It is such a different experience, and is making me change back to an IC role for my own sanity.
1. Mature leaders do not work under bosses (unless their greed meets really good salary). There are plenty of places to work at without top-down culture.
2. Mature leaders have values and personal agenda.
3. Mature leaders have manage-up skill and use it to align their manager expectations with their values.
True Scotsman, Mature Leaders. LOL
Even the most powerful CEOs answer to the Board (which are essentially their boss), with few exceptions. And for those exceptions (Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk etc.) probably aren't what most people call "mature".
I think you misunderstood that point. There’s a difference between a leader and a boss in the style of management. In old school command hierarchies managers are bosses and give orders. In modern people-oriented structure managers act as an oil in the engine, enabling their direct reports to achieve their goals with their knowledge and skill. They may not know better, but they know how to delegate and trust.
Yeah, well, sure... but also don't be shy to ask for what you want (you know... "in due time"), because many managers will maintain the status quo if they can, and definitely not volunteer to promote you out of being a great individual contributor at their own expense of having to replace you.
Not exactly, but not very far either (6 years in including 20k+ empl companies and small startups)
Thanks for good advice. I agree with you.