Quick Wins Traps in New Leadership Job/Role

Quick Wins Traps in New Leadership Job/Role

Of course, realizing quick wins is important, for example when you're in a new leader/management job. By doing so you reassure your boss or stakeholders that they made the right promotion / hiring decision, you convince your employees that they can have confidence in you, and you show to your colleagues that an equal has joined their ranks.
But Mark van Buren and Todd Safferstone have found through a large-scale survey that there are 5 frequent traps on the way to a quick win, leading to what they call a "quick-win paradox":
1. Focus too heavily on the details
2. React negatively to criticism
3. Intimidate others
4. Jump to hasty conclusions
5. Micromanage direct reports
In general, van Buren and Safferstone recommend to shift your focus from creating individual quick wins to creating collective quick wins. This advise makes sense being a manager. After all your primary job is to make your people successful.
Source: The Quick Wins Paradox, HBR Jan 2009, p. 54-61.

		Comments Sort by date Sort by rating Rating
		0 Ashok A kella Finance Manager, India
	Quick Win Paradox True, no companion will give you a walk over or smooth ride, still those who manage earliest break ... Sign up

		0 Venkatakrishnan, India
	Short to Long Term Yes, individual to collective is true, at the same time the 5 traps are short lived. Think and act f... Sign up

		1 Frances, USA
	New Management Position I lived that New Management position and I found that listening and asking a few questions to unders... Sign up

		2 Charu, India
	Shifting Management Focus from Individual to Collective Not Always Good I am not fully satisfied with this. According to me in order to be successful you need to be situati... Sign up

		0 Ram, India
	Leadership Success depends on Team Leadership success nowadays is a one way ticket, where the leader talks and talks, sets his goal and... Sign up

		2 Muhammad Azhar Sajjad, Pakistan
	Quick Win Paradox I agree to be a successful leader one should shift focus from creating individual quick wins to crea... Sign up

		1 Michael D. Moore Entrepreneur, United States
	Quick Wins It is a blind spot for many companies to seek quick results. Some are pressured into it, others are ... Sign up

		1 Bosede Abiola Adetifa Manager, Australia
	Leadership must have their Ears on the Ground I totally agree with most of the comments so far. To lead effectively, your ears must be on the grou... Sign up

		1 Bosede Abiola Adetifa Manager, Australia
	Individual AND Collective 'Unless we join forces and recognize each other's humanity, how can we do business together, let alo... Sign up

		3 Gregory Johnson Coach, United States
	Leadership Radar Vision I agree with the conversation and would add that Authentic Leaders, not managers, incorporate a "Rad... Sign up

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Other Leadership Errors and Don'ts For several other misunderstandings, errors and don'ts for new leaders, also have a look at the know... Sign up