Although the question in the headline seems simple and the answer is simple indeed, there are few important points any company must be aware of.
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How one becomes a manager or a team leader? Generally speaking, the shortest way to position of manager or team leader is to prove that you have knowledge and skills that are required on your working place. After finishing school, one gets the job and tasks that must be done. An accountant gets the book, a carpenter a piece of wood, a salesman products that he needs to sell.
If they are successful and if they show knowledge, skills and devotion, it is a great probability that they will be asked to become something more. At that moments the company thinks that they proved themselves and that they will achieve equally good results as leaders. And here lies the trap visible in so many companies, especially smaller ones.
After the promotion and euphoria that follows, both sides slowly realize that a good worker is not so good leader.
His results are bad, he has no support from his team, and his superior officer is not satisfied too. This is totally opposite to expectations: The company lost a good worker and get a lousy leader.
What happened? The company thought that the results will be the same. After all, he was a brilliant worker. But to expect that a good worker will be a good manager without any help is exactly the same as expecting a good carpenter to be a good doctor. There is a possibility, but the carpenter needs education. If he has patience and if the company provides him means to learn, he will succeed.
However, the leaders of the company must be aware that people aren't born to be managers and leaders. They need support, learning and help from other colleagues. There is belief that good worker will be a good leader just like that. Very often young managers think the same and they are not happy with their inability to lead the team efficiently. They tend to lose self-confidence and they may ask to return to their old duties.
It is important to recall a simple fact: A worker becomes good after years of learning and work. Every worker has some kind of education and working experience and because of that he may become good. The same stands for managers. When a company announces a new leader, it must give him support and proper education for his new position. To work with wood is hard, to work with people is even harder.
The new leader must learn new skills that are completely different from his previous experience, and company must explain to him what is expected. That way both sided may expect a good outcome. A good worker will become a good leader, and the company will be a better company. And carpenter will enjoy his new position as a manager. ■