Challenges are an inevitable part of leadership and management. While people in high positions seem to have it all figured out, they’re not infallible–rather, they’ve just had years of experience that allowed them to develop tactics and strategies to get around roadblocks and, if necessary, break through them.
Importance of Leadership and Management Challenges
It is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed by leadership and management challenges when people look up to you for guidance and inspiration, especially when you’re new to the role. However, understanding that these hurdles are integral to adapting to the ever-changing professional landscape, you can shift your perspective and look at these critical situations as an opportunity to grow in your career and personal life.
At Kompass Consultancy, we empower leaders and managers to thrive through effective and holistic coaching programmes. In this article, we’ll uncover 8 common leadership and management challenges and how to overcome them, whether internal or external.
By bringing these valuable insights to your awareness, we hope that you become more prepared to address them.
Internal vs. External Challenges
Internal challenges are hardships rooted within the organisation or workplace and the manager’s abilities. Leadership and management may be confronted to handle conflict between colleagues or employees and deal with their own fears, self-doubt, or triggered by impatience. In these instances, we embolden leaders to reflect on what is personally holding them back from becoming the kind of leader their team needs.
If internal challenges are problems that require direct response from leadership and management, external challenges are those beyond their control. Examples include issues within the industry the organisation belongs to, such as economic depressions, changes in market conditions, or insufficient resources. Leaders need to remain calm, harness their communication and critical thinking skills to keep their teams focused on their individual tasks and motivated to meet the company’s objectives.
8 Common Leadership and Management Challenges and How to Overcome Them
1. Managing and Delegating Tasks
Leadership and management are entrusted to oversee multiple projects at a time they need to be able to break down into smaller tasks, and strategically delegate within teams. Handling projects with extensive requirements and strict deadlines could be cumbersome as it is, yet leaders still need to ensure efficiency and productivity through proper time management, all while boosting morale and minimising conflicts.
How leadership and management delegate tasks can make or break the outcome of a project which puts a lot of pressure on managers. Leaders need to share responsibilities for them to direct their attention to more pressing matters and demonstrate trust in their team. We advise leaders to play to their team’s strengths, have confidence in their abilities, and supervise them accordingly.
2. Developing Teams and Encouraging Autonomy
To develop teams and encourage autonomy, leadership and management must ensure everyone is on the same page with well-defined objectives and that every team member knows what is expected of them. Leaders must be able to tell people what to do without micromanaging. They must also foster a supportive and collaborative environment where employees can voice out their opinions on how to approach the shared goal.
We recommend that leadership and management prioritise high-performance team coaching and mentorship to unlock each team member’s potential. Autonomy gives employees the space and opportunity to excel as much as it allows them to take initiative.
3. Providing Inspiration and Guiding Change
It could be challenging for leadership and management to provide inspiration and guide change when they don’t know what motivates their employees. While efficiency and productivity are crucial for the success of any project, leaders must still be able to see employees as people and show empathy at work.
Leadership and management can increase employee engagement by rewarding team members who’ve done excellent work with a career development plan. We prompt leaders to be generous with their commendations at team meetings and provide regular feedback during one-on-ones. Employees must know how their contributions are meaningful as much as how they can improve. In the same way, you can be a better manager by requesting feedback from your employees to identify strengths and gaps in their leadership style.
4. Avoiding Burnout and Setting Boundaries
Burnout can happen to the best of us and it contributes to chronic workplace stress. It is a reminder that overworking is only counterproductive. We urge leaders to spot the initial signs of burnout in themselves as well as within their teams and to set professional boundaries by being a model of work-life balance. Leaders must also be able to look after themselves.
Leadership and management can reduce stress by encouraging breaks and engaging in relaxing activities like self-care. Leaders can also make it a habit to check in with their team members by asking for updates or concerns and helping them set priorities or adjust their workload.
5. Resolving Different Perspectives and Ethical Dilemmas
Conflict can be tricky and uncomfortable for anyone. Often it is caused by different perspectives or miscommunication and may give rise to an ethical dilemma. Whether it’s between colleagues, team members, or a misalignment with clients or supervisors, leadership and management are challenged to communicate effectively and make sure both parties feel heard.
When faced with an ethical dilemma, we advise leadership and management to err on the side of caution. To reach an informed decision and possibly a compromise, leaders must channel their active listening skills and consult someone who can be objective on the matter.
6. Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
Friction may arise due to diverse backgrounds, experiences, and unconventional ideologies. The challenge for leadership and management is to create a space where opposing ideas are conveyed diplomatically and utilised for productive discussion.
Leadership and management can promote diversity and inclusion by cultivating a welcoming and transparent work environment that sets the stage for open and honest communication. Through executive coaching, we help leaders sharpen their self-awareness to catch unconscious bias and provide equal opportunities.
7. Keeping Up With Advancing Technologies
In a fast-paced professional landscape, leadership and management need to be aware of advancing technology and tools to remain competitive. Leaders need to be updated about what their competitors are offering, foresee future benefits and costs, assess risks of product development, and manage teams on top of everything else.
In this scenario, leadership and management can leverage team diversity for problem-solving and pave the way for a culture of innovation. They can also choose not to see and maximise emerging technologies as a tool that could drive efficiency–not as a threat. Leaders need to build resilience and instil a growth mindset. The willingness to learn new methods will be the catalyst for flexible and high-performing teams.
8. Delivering Bad News and Making Hard Decisions
No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, yet leaders may often find themselves in the middle of tough conversations where they relay the company’s uncertainty or need to lay off people in their department. In times of crisis, leaders are burdened with hard decisions and their communication skills are again put to the test.
As certified coaches at Kompass, we hone both verbal and non-verbal communication skills of leadership and management so that they can deliver difficult news calmly and delicately while extending support. We also help leaders weigh potential outcomes and arrive at the most promising solution. Moreover, we reassure leaders that the right course of action is often not the easy option.
Takeaways on Overcoming Leadership and Management Challenges
Acknowledging that leadership and management is not a smooth-sailing journey, the true mark of a leader is being able to exude grace under pressure and in one’s ability to make tough decisions with the organisation’s and every individual’s best interests in mind.
Challenges in leadership and management could have the worst timing, may seem impossible to navigate, and can make or break an organisation. The good news is that these bumps along the way allow leaders to establish trust and rapport within their teams, and together brace for continuous improvement. Leaders will also gain more confidence and expand their skills as they overcome more challenges.
At Kompass Consultancy, we are dedicated to nurturing a pipeline of leaders who can manage change and bolster synergy within organisations. Request a discovery call, and we’ll be happy to tell you more about the executive coaching and team coaching programmes we offer.
