Latest updated: 14 July 2023

There are many managers and leaders in Sweden who do not quite meet the expectations of their employees and employers. However, it does not mean that they lack potential or are doomed to fail in their leadership. With the right development, anyone can become a better leader, but there are no shortcuts to this development. It requires the leader to get to know themselves, their behavior, and how it affects others, and to have the opportunity to practice behaviors that lead to success.

In most companies and organizations, there are some managers and leaders who struggle to succeed in their leadership roles. Many of them may have been skilled employees within the organization, but faced greater difficulties after being promoted to a managerial position. Being an effective leader is quite different from being a skilled employee.

However, it does not mean that it's game over for leaders who do not meet the expectations of their environment. Leadership consists of a set of abilities and behaviors, and these can be trained and developed.

There is no quick-fix solution to strengthen a leader's leadership, and attempting to compensate for leadership deficiencies with tools like digital solutions does not help either. If one truly wants to strengthen their leadership, genuine reflection, insight, and development are required, as highlighted by Harvard Business Review.

From self-awareness to concrete behavioral change

Through coaching, leaders can learn to understand themselves and their behavior and, based on that, learn new behaviors and methods to strengthen their leadership in their day-to-day work. The leader, together with the coach, can identify specific areas where they need to develop their abilities and then create a plan for achieving that goal, step by step.

For example, according to HBR, one can draw ideas from research related to the abilities they want to strengthen and then "translate" them into concrete behaviors in their daily lives, in collaboration with their coach. These behaviors can be strengthened by regularly practicing them in daily situations while monitoring the frequency and extent of practicing the desired behavior and assessing the results.

In this development process, it is important to have specific goals and measures of success. It is also important to involve one's employees by sharing the set goals, asking them questions, and seeking feedback. At the same time, the coach can provide assistance in understanding how to interpret and use the feedback.

Every individual has immense potential for development. There is no reason to give up hope for a manager who has not quite lived up to the often high expectations of their employees and employers.

A leader who gets the opportunity to develop personally and professionally can reach unprecedented heights and become a significant asset to their employees and the entire organization.

Summary - Anyone can become a better leader:

1. There are many managers and leaders who do not meet the expectations of their employers and employees, but with the right support, they can develop their leadership and performance.
2. True leadership development requires the leader to strengthen their self-awareness and learn to understand their own behavior, preferably with the help of a coach.
3. Together with the coach, the leader can identify abilities that need to be strengthened and translate them into behaviors that can be practiced in their day-to-day work.