Ron Edmondson

Numerous times throughout my more than 35 years leadership career I’ve been the new guy.

Navigating those early days in a new leadership role is critically important. Much of our future success as leaders is determined by how well we start. It is more difficult to regain momentum for our leadership if it is lost or never begins early.

(Part of my consulting practice is helping new leaders launch well. If I can help you, please let me know.)

Here are 7 classic new leader mistakes:

Assuming people trust you before they really do. New leaders often gain a window of approval. Everyone appears nice to the new person. People will appear excited to have a new leader on board. Either way, people in the early days can often make a new leader feel very loved and very popular.

Trust is not the same thing as popularity. It must be earned over time and experience.

(By the way, honeymoon periods, in my observation, aren’t lasting as long as they used to last.)

Bashing the past while attempting to get to the future. When you speak badly of the past you alienate people who were there before you arrived. The past is a part of the people you’re trying to lead and it forces people to feel they need to defend themselves.

You can’t ignore the past, and you may need to either repent from it or build from it, but you must approach it carefully.

Assuming nothing good was done before you got there. In reality there were probably lots of good things done in the past. It’s arrogant to think otherwise. You’ll be more effective if you help people rediscover some things which were done well than to ignore any good that ever happened before.

Having the “they need me” complex. When the new leader arrives pretending to have all the answers it keeps any other good ideas from being shared. People either aren’t motivated to help or they don’t feel they have permission.

Ignoring unwritten rules. Every organization has rules, which never make it to a piece of paper. They are in the core DNA and are often more powerful than the written ones. These unwritten rules involve things such as how things are done, how people interact with one another, and reaction to change.

They can be changed over time, but not as easily if they aren’t understood – and even followed – in the process of changing them.

Not understanding the real power structure. Before you can ever effectively implement change you have to learn the people who hold positions of power. It’s not always the people with titles. There are people of influence that – when they speak – people listen.

Not testing the waters before making major change. Seasoned leaders know there must be “meetings before the meeting”. You must find the pulse for change before you spend any capital for change you have. Don’t assume everyone is on board just because it’s a great idea (in your mind) and people like you.

My Suggestion

I believe humility addresses most of these well. If a new leader approaches the organization in a humble effort to learn the people and the organization, listening to people and asking good questions – before attempting major change, he or she is more likely to be successful as the leader.

I spend a good amount of my ministry investing in younger leaders and I love it, because it fuels me to know something I’ve learned – often through trial and error – might help another leader avoid my mistakes.

This is one of those type posts.

Here are 5 nuggets of wisdom, young leaders:

The more specific you are the more other people can help you. 

Don’t dance around the issue you are struggling with as if you have answers when in reality you have none. We have all been where you are and we understand. So, we can better help you if you tell us what the real problem is and where your fear is greatest.

Surround yourself with some encouragers. 

Make sure you have people who speak regularly into your life. These may need to be people outside the work you’re doing, but some days they’ll be the only fuel that keeps you going.

(Not to seem self-serving, but you might need a coach. I do this for a number of younger leaders.)

Seek your affirmation among people God sent you to minister to. 

This one came as great advice from a seasoned leader. Many times you will feel under-appreciated as a leader. You may not even feel you’re doing any good and you’ll often second-guess yourself and your calling.

When those times come, get back to helping the hurting people – or the work, whatever it is – God called you to do. Be recharged by being the real you.

Everything great starts with a humble beginning. 

We all want instant success, but that is seldom the reality. Those who launch big often had enormous stories of previously being humbled – often many times.

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” Zechariah 4:10

Protect your soul. 

You have to discipline yourself to decompress. Here’s a paraphrase of Jesus: “Come to me all who are stretched, burnt-out, weary and heavy-burdened – I will give you refreshment for your soul.“

Live this truth daily and place it as a regular practice of your life.

As a leader, I am forced to make dozens of decisions every day. During this pandemic that has only multiplied.

Thankfully, years ago I learned the secret to making better decisions faster.

When I’m pushed for a quick answer – when everyone knows a decision needs to be made now, but without time to get all the information I might normally require to make a decision.

I empower the team to make the decision.

Sometimes I simply don’t have enough information or enough time to gather it, even though by position the decision would normally be mine to make. It happens frequently enough I need to have a plan for those occasions. There are simply decisions, which need to be made quickly, but I don’t know the parameters we need to make the best decision, as well as others on the team.

I could slow down progress and micromanage. Instead, I empower people to make decisions.

In times like this, the people on our staff:

• Have more knowledge about the issue than I have.

• Usually have an opinion of what we should do.

• Often hope I’ll answer the way they want me to.

• Won’t always share their idea until I ask for it.

In those times, I will ask a question, such as, “What do you think we should do?” or “Are you comfortable enough to put your name behind it?” or “What would you do if you were me?”

Then I go with their instinct – maybe even over my own.

Healthy leadership means healthy empowerment.

But, and this is key if you truly want people to give you input, I let them know I will back them in the decision.

And, equally important, I let them know they will be also held partially responsible for the outcome.

• I’m still on the hook.

• I will support them completely.

• I am willing to stand fully behind them.

But I’ll follow their lead on the issue.

It grants them authority, allows them to buy into the decision and grows their leadership.

And it helps move the organization forward faster.

The leadership principle here:

If you want to lead people you have to trust them and let them own decisions.