Here’s some straight talk for new leaders – based on years of being “that guy”.
Starting a new leadership role is exciting. You see possibilities. The new ideas flow easily. You’re eager to make a difference.
That energy is a gift. There will never be a season as “fresh” as this one – so make the most of it.
My advice, however, is don’t let this season outrun your wisdom – or the wisdom you can glean from others.
I’ve stepped into enough new leadership seasons to know there are things you can’t fully understand until you’re actually sitting in the chair.
I always say, “You can’t see what I see until you sit where I sit.”
There’s something about sitting in the chair as the leader that changes your perspective on things.
Some lessons come quickly. Others only become clear after you’ve made a few mistakes, moved too fast, or realized the situation was more complicated than it first appeared.
So, if you’re in one of those seasons now – a new role, a new organization, some new level of responsibility – here are a few things I’d encourage you to remember to help you start well.
Don’t build yourself up by tearing down your predecessor.
You don’t have to prove the last leader was wrong for you to be the right leader now.
Honor what came before you. Learn from it. Change what needs changing when the time is right.
Be a proponent of the new more than an opponent of the old.
It will honor and buy you more favor with those who have been laboring long before you arrived on the scene.
Give yourself plenty of time to learn.
You’ll see things immediately you think need fixing. Some of them probably do.
But you don’t know yet what you don’t know.
Fast is not always best.
I often think it takes a full year – or more – to have a clear picture of where we are and where we need to go next – from a big-picture perspective at least.
I once interviewed for a lead role. Someone on the hiring team asked me to come to the next interview with my five-year vision for the role.
I pushed back and said it would be ridiculous for me to have that at this point.
(I said it a little nicer – not much – than that.)
Turns out this seasoned, successful leader was testing me. I would not have been a good fit had I had that answered already.
I got the job.
Never assume you assessed correctly. Ask questions.
Curiosity is one of the most underrated leadership skills.
Before declaring, “This makes no sense,” ask, “Help me understand how we got here.”
You may still change it. But you’ll change it with greater wisdom.
The first explanation for why something exists is rarely the whole story.
A wise older person told me once when I was in a season of making rapid change:
“Before you remove a fence – even when it’s in disrepair – find out first why they built that fence in the first place.”
That’s learned wisdom.
Remember the beginning isn’t normal.
There is usually a honeymoon period.
People give you extra grace. Everything feels new. Adrenaline carries you.
You may also work longer hours than you can possibly sustain.
Don’t build a life around a pace you can only maintain for six months.
Remember, these opening days are a season – a new season, but most likely not a permanent one.
Pay attention to your spouse.
You’re experiencing the excitement of the new role firsthand.
Your spouse may primarily be experiencing everything the new role changed.
While you’re gaining relationships, opportunities, influence and purpose, they may be grieving routines, friendships or familiarity.
Give them room to process differently than you.
And finally –
Patience may be your hardest task, but it will become one of your greatest leadership skills.
- You’ll want to move faster than the organization can move.
- It’s likely you’ll see things before others see them. They’ve often been living the “frog in the kettle” scenario.
- You’ll want results before trust has had time to grow.
Slow down enough to learn the people, understand the culture and earn the right to lead change.
You don’t have to prove yourself in the first 90 days.
You’re trying to build something that will still be healthy years from now.
The best leadership happens over seasons and years – not over days and weeks.
Sometimes the wisest thing a new leader can do is lead a little slower than they want to.
You don’t have to prove you can lead quickly. Prove you can lead faithfully. That kind of leadership outlasts the other.
