It is human nature to emphasize what we do well and ignore or put off working on what does not come as naturally. A good manager must fight that instinct, understand what key leadership or management attributes they may lack, and either develop those skills or hire them onto the team.
Every person running a nonprofit organization, a division, or a team must accept responsibility for also managing less-glamorous duties, such as the implementation of strategy through planning, budgeting, organizing, staffing, problem-solving and follow-up. Both leaders and managers need to be effective communicators, decision-makers, and influencers—or, at a minimum, they need to add those capabilities to their teams so that those functions are addressed and they accomplish the whole job.
- Have you identified both your strengths and weaknesses as a manager?
- How do you compensate for your shortcomings as a manager?