Mid-level leadership is a crucial segment of internal talent from where top leadership emerges. What type of leadership styles do you come with?
When interviewing for business strategist job positions at large firms, you would often encounter this question – what do you see yourself as – a manager, a practitioner, or a strategist?
Well, yes. There are different ways people exhibit leadership. You can choose to grow your skills in the style that suits you most and build your career around it.
Not all leadership requirements are the same! Companies require people with different skillsets and aptitudes in different leadership positions.
As a business strategist, you must match the companies’ need with yours even during the hiring stage. It’s a critical question for all mid-level positions. Here we try and understand each type of leadership for mid-level.
Think…
A large firm is expanding, and it is restructuring its mid-level management teams. They need a person in senior leadership positions.
They have one employee who has a brilliant work ethic and delivers quality work. She is welcomed by all, is open to new ideas, and is forward-thinking.
So, the company asks her to step up to the business strategist position and take the lead of the team as a manager and set the strategic direction for them.
She agrees, but struggles.
From helping new reports understand their responsibilities to conducting meetings and actually running the entire team.
Result? A poor functioning team, bad employee morale, and no direction.
Answer the Question – Manager, Strategist, or Practitioner?
Many executives and businesses don’t realize there exist different styles of leadership at the mid-level.
It’s critical for both you and the company to answer what kind of leader are you looking to be or hire?
Else, it can put your current teams and structure in jeopardy and bring adverse business impact.
Most often, the best of business strategists come from all leadership styles. Below we take a look at all three.
3 Kinds of Mid-Level Leadership Styles
They all bring different skill sets, mindsets, and aptitudes to the table.
1. Manager – Tactical leaders
Managers are in charge of a team or department. They are usually someone with good direction capabilities with regards to ensuring the performance of the team.
They arrange for team training if required. They move forward with the goal of maintaining and improving the performance of people in her team.
Managers are good at successfully navigating politics and getting the work done.
That said, they know about the domain they are leading enough to undertake quality control checks efficiently and understand the dynamics and responsibilities of each member of their team.
Managers are the type of business strategists who are driven by strong understanding, and mentorship abilities. They are all about eliminating roadblocks and helping teams shine.
2. Strategist – Visionaries
Strategists are skilled in planning and achieving goals. They create a vision and the plans around it to realize those possibilities.
Strategists are great at macro-level understanding and laying down a vision for the teams they lead.
A strategist sees possibilities – with respect to resources at one’s behest, team capability, and company goals – to lay out a vision and a plan.
However, business strategists should be given enough independence and authority to act. If they would ask their teams to think outside the box, they need to be given enough tools to come out of it.
They are all about creating a positive impact with their actions and plans and identifying what should be done next to improve things.
3. Practitioner – Lead by example
Practitioners are senior-level business strategists who lead by doing. They are usually experts in a particular area and are hard workers themselves. They actively participate in the tasks to guide their teams.
The practitioner trains others in their working area and is responsible for setting the standards and laying the right guidelines for that particular practice.
They keep skilling themselves in the practices and excel in the area they handle.
Practitioners are all about doing great work in their field of expertise.
Learning for Mid-Level Managerial Positions
Every skill requires refurbishing.
How can mid-level professionals choose the best style for them, and excel at it?
Stick by the motto of never stop learning. Keep a hold of the latest strategic and business developments. Getting associated with world-class certifying bodies can help greatly. It can get access to the right knowledge and people.
Advanced strategy certifications offered by The Strategy Institute are professional qualifications that can formalize your leadership style and strengthen it further.
So next time you are asked – what kind of leader will you be for a mid-level position – what would be your answer?
