Hi,
B-Suite leaders are the modern middle manager – too junior to be ‘in the tent’ but senior enough that you are looked up to for answers. You are responsible for results, yet spend your time caught in the cross-fire between the needs of the executive and the needs of the workforce. And you end up being stuck.
The four most common challenges of B-Suite Leaders are:
- You’ve reached a plateau where you feel stuck at level and can’t work out why.
- You aren’t being heard, increasingly frustrated you can’t get the cut-through you need.
- You’re doing it tough, working harder, longer yet still not quite keeping up with demand.
- You aren’t confident about what to do next, perhaps worry you aren’t good enough to level up.
What Level of Leadership are you operating at?
Your Current Impact Level is 1 - Administrator
You are currently operating like a Level 1 Leader – Administrator. Your primary focus is the consistent standards of the processes or services you lead, rather than the improvements you might drive.
Leaders at your level are characterised by compliance, and typically lead the team administering a process, being accountable for maintaining standards. Your interaction impact is limited and mainly with your direct leader and team. You are likely operationally strong with excellent attention to detail, and are often known for your success in maintaining standards.
The most common frustration at your level is feeling invisible and lacking significant impact. You know that you add value, and could add a lot more if enabled, but the biggest barrier others like you often face in this regard is trust: you are not yet trusted to deviate from the approach, but to deliver only to the set standards. Your greatest challenge at this level is getting others to adopt the same work rate, high standards, and personal commitment levels that you exhibited as an individual contributor.
Your Next Level...
Your next level of impact is Level 2 – Owner. You will have greater authority to make more decisions within your space, and it often means expanding your leadership to a larger team, and sometimes starting to lead other leaders.
What you need to do to Level Up
To move to Level 2 – Owner, you need to focus on building trust; be viewed as more expert, more in control and to start to become the go-to person in your company on your subject.
► Control the Pace
Control the pace of work rather than letting it control you by investing in your coping mechanisms, planning and prioritising, and quality decision making abilities.
► Hold the Space
Get clear on how to think strategically, how you go about problem solving, and get confident about the boundaries of your role to add more value.
► Make the Case
Increase your impact, focus on managing up, be more conscious of your brand, and get really deliberate about motivating people and ensuring key outcomes.
Overwhelmingly supported by Deloitte, DDI and McKinsey’s work, BoldHR™’s ongoing research shows when you achieve mastery in these 3 competencies as a B-Suite Leader, you are going to become more productive, more influential and more strategic – and have more impact, more easily.
BoldHR™ knows the B-Suite.
We know that you’d rather be an impact-maker than an order-taker. And we know how to get you there.
- Feeling overlooked? Deliberate influence gets results.
- Always overworked? If you don’t have your own priorities, you’re always at the mercy of others.
- Often overwhelmed? Only boundaries prevent burnout.
How to fast-track your progress
To fast-track your progress to the next level, there are three actions you can take right now:- Join our free B-Suite Leader Community
- Read IMPACT: 10 Ways to Level Up your Leadership
- Join the Level Up Mentoring Program
Find out more
Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience in Talent and is an expert on mid-level Leadership. Formerly Head of Talent and Careers for Australia Post Group, she has been instrumental in developing the capability and careers of literally thousands of people.
Rebecca is an AHRI Talent Strategy and Golden Quill award-winner as well as the best-selling author of IMPACT: 10 ways to level up your leadership and the architect of Level Up, the only program of its kind dedicated to busy B-Suite leaders. Known for her generous, fun yet no-nonsense style, clients rave about her ability to instill confidence and change through the provision of tools and techniques that actually work.
