Successfully transition into a new leadership role by following these tips. Whether transitioning in the same organization or a new one, it is a challenging and critical moment for your career. Your actions in the first few months will determine your success or failure during your tenure.
According to McKinsey, studies have shown that between 26 and 47 percent of executive transitions are considered failures or disappointments. Leadership transitions are crucial for the business, the customers, the employees, and your career.
Here are some key points to help you make a successful transition into a new leadership role. Keeping these points in mind can help ensure success through your tenure.
Get clear on why you were hired into the new leadership role.
Sometimes organizations bring in new leadership to improve results, for growth, or simply because of attrition. Most often, improving people, process, or technology is the reason why organizations seek out new leaders. Create a list of those items and work with your boss to prioritize. To successfully transition into a new leadership role, you have to deliver positive outcomes.
Beware of hidden agendas, and develop your own assessments.
When you are new to a leadership role, a lot of people will offer opinions on what they feel needs changed or improved. Because you are new, you don’t know who the players are. You aren’t aware of agendas they may have. More so, you don’t know your new team. Instead of running with other people’s assessments, observe, ask questions, and develop your own assessments. To successfully transition into a new leadership role, get to know your team and watch them in action to understand why they are doing what they are doing.
Meet with your new team.
To successfully transition into a new leadership role, meet with your team. Your first one-to-one with your team members builds a foundation that can determine your success or failure as a leader. The meetings should happen in a neutral spot, such as a conference room, and their work area. Seek to understand their goals, how they feel they are doing, how you can help them, and how they think items on your list can be improved. Get to know them as a person, their hobbies, self-interests, and their family. Whatever you agree to do, or circle back to them on, make sure you do it. These things will start establishing trust, which is critical when transitioning into a new leadership role.
Balance the urge to move too quickly and delaying action for more information.
A recent Harvard Business Review article warns against new leaders judging too quickly, making snap decisions, or taking too long to act. The article outlines how new leaders create a lasting impression that can be hard to overcome when they hastily transition into a new leadership role.
Collaborate and ask questions to successfully transition into a new leadership role.
As you go about developing your initiatives to fix or improve the business, take the opportunity to model a collaborative approach. A common mistake that new leaders make is to dictate down the new way. Instead, take a collaborative approach and enlist sponsorship from your team. Having them help design the strategy and optimization initiatives will make sure the team buys into the initiative. Inviting them to be part of the solution and problem-solving process lowers resistance to change. As a result, collaboration is key to a successful transition into a new leadership role.
Practice the five dimensions of centered leadership.
McKinsey’s research identifies that leaders can inspire, engage, and mobilize their teams during challenging times by mastering any of the five dimensions of centered leadership.
- Finding meaning in work,
- Positive framing by converting fears into opportunity,
- Connecting and leveraging connections and community,
- Engaging by acting in the face of risk, and
- Managing energy.
Mastering even just one of these dimensions makes you twice as likely as those who have mastered none to feel as though you can manage through change. Mastering all five, and you will feel satisfied with your performance as a leader. As a result, mastering any of the five dimensions of centered leadership will help you successfully transition into a new leadership role.
How you enter into a new leadership role will determine your success or failure. It will have an impact on your tenure in that role. Resist the urge to show up and get stuff done too quickly. Keep your ego in check by not thinking you already know what needs fixing and how. Following these tips will help ensure you successfully transition into a new leadership role, have a lasting tenure, and make the most impactful impression.
Last updated on July 9th, 2020 at 05:57 am
