Every leader approaches a new position with at least a little trepidation. That’s natural and you should probably be concerned if you don’t feel it at least a little. Here are a few suggestions to help ease you into your new position. They apply whether you are a new leader or have years of experience.
- Don’t try to change everything the first day. Things are seldom in such a bad state that you have to take immediate action to make drastic changes. Often, major changes instituted immediately by new leaders are wrong and fail. Give yourself time for the next suggestion.
- Watch, learn, listen. Ask questions. This has two results. First, your subordinates will see that you don’t think you know everything and are interested in their thoughts and opinions. Here’s a bonus suggestion. Ask people what they do and how they do it. People love to tell the boss something he or she doesn’t already know. If you are very familiar with the task, process, etc, engage them in a meaningful discussion but never try to make them think you know more than they do. You’ll be perceived as more down to Earth and approachable. This simple technique will pay you back later when you need their help: and you will. Second, it allows you to get a good feel for what is really going on. Chances are, at least some of what you thought about your new organization was wrong. This is your chance to fix your own perceptions before they lead you to do something unfortunate.
- Get to know your subordinates. These are the people who will help you succeed. For your immediate subordinate leaders, your “reports”, you should be able to give a 2 – 3 minute talk on each one stating their likes, dislikes, history, aspirations, family status, and spouse’s name. For subordinates below this level, know as much as possible. This gets increasingly difficult in larger organizations, but it is well worth your effort to have at least rudimentary knowledge of the people you are leading.
- Know what you want to accomplish. There are two aspects to this. First, make sure you know what your boss expects. Know the organization’s strategic plan. Be able to communicate that plan to your subordinates and tell them where they fit. Second, have your own plan. Your boss knows what he or she needs your organization to accomplish but a good leader also has an idea of things the organization should do to excel.
- Take care of yourself. Don’t let your new job destroy you. This happens as leaders get deeper and deeper in their responsibilities. They stop taking time for themselves and their families and eventually burn out. At first, your new position will seem like 25 hours a day, 8 days a week. That’s normal, but should taper off. If it doesn’t, you need to evaluate why. Make sure you are utilizing your available resources correctly and not trying to do everything yourself.
- Don’t lose sight of your values. Sometimes leaders begin to enjoy their positions too much and revel in whatever power comes with that position. Over time they start to feel a sense of entitlement to the trappings of that power and in some cases, lose track of their personal value set. They allow their values to change and become self-centered. In some cases, the word for these leaders is failure. In extreme cases they become criminals.
These tips should get you off to a good start. Most importantly, remember that you are a leader and leadership is your job. You must uphold the standards of the organization but you also must always take care of the people you lead. Study leadership, observe others, and constantly evaluate your own performance. Making mistakes is natural and you can’t avoid it. Not learning from your mistakes and using them to improve? Well that’s just dumb and the key to failure.
A good way to start is to sit down in a quiet place and write down a few of the best examples of leadership you’ve experienced. Then, write down a few of the worst examples. Refer to this list every day and make sure you are striving for the best and avoiding the worst.
Bob Mason is dedicated to leadership development. He works with companies to solve problems by helping supervisors and managers become more effective leaders leading more productive teams. He is a professional speaker and author of Don’t Worry, You Can Do This: What New Supervisors and Managers Need to Know About Leadership; The Art of Not Motivating: How Leaders Can Succeed by Understanding the True Nature of Motivation; Balancing the Generations: A Leader’s Guide to the Complex, Multi-Generational, 21st Century Workplace; and Planning to Excel: Strategic Planning That Works.
A 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force exposed him to great leaders and leadership opportunities such as command of four squadrons, including the Air Force’s largest munitions squadron. He has studied leadership extensively, but more importantly has been there, working with real people, making hard decisions, and experiencing the results.
Contact Bob at Bob@BobMasonSpeaker.com or 505-453-5266
