7 Things New Inexperienced Leaders Must Do
The good news is you earned the opportunity to lead. The bad news is you’ll probably crash and burn. (But get up again when you do.)
7 Things New Inexperienced Leaders Must Do:
#1. Determine how you want to show up before you show up.
Know your values, strengths, and mission.
If you don’t know who you are, you’ll end up pushed around by the loudest voice.
#2. Practice humility.
Humility always looks good on new leaders.
#3. Ask intelligent questions.
- What’s next?
- Where does this lead us?
- What’s important about that?
- What challenges lay ahead?
- Who might know?
- Who’s good at this?
- What are we learning from failure? Success?
- Who needs to know?
- What are we missing?
- What’s preventing us from making this decision today?
- What assumptions led us to this decision?
- Where are the pockets of energy in our organization. How can I add fuel to their fire?
The best thing you can know is that you don’t know.
#4. Realize you impact others.
Leaders know that changing one thing impacts ten things.
- Who is impacted? How?
- Don’t blow off steam in public.
- Share concerns with optimism. Hand-wringing is below you.
- Don’t minimize challenges or you’ll look out of touch.
#5. Look down the road and around the corner.
Individual contributors get lost in the weeds.
Leaders live in the future while functioning in the present.
#6. Be known for talking things over AND for making decisions.
It’s easy to be all talk and no action or all action and no talk.
People respect you when you listen and understand before making decisions, especially if they disagree.
#7. Know that leadership is more than getting things done.
Leaders get things done THROUGH others.
The mental shift from getting things done on your own to bringing out the best in people is incredibly slow and often painful.
What’s #1 on your list of things new inexperienced leaders must do?
What might you add to the 7 things listed above?
What’s #1 on your list of things new inexperienced leaders must do?
New leaders need to get a solid understanding of the current situation. Collect and analyze the hard data (numbers and fact) and the soft data–how people are feeling. Talk to a lot of people (including customer) and listen. It’s important to hear both the good and the bad stuff. As Jack Welch said–face reality.
Next step–determine what’s possible going forward.
Dan–here are a couple of things I would add to your list:
#1. Determine how you want to show up before you show up.
–Write down your core beliefs and values and review them every other day.
#3. Ask intelligent questions.
–What’s your top priority?
–How can I help? (Servant Leader)
–What’s working? (Appreciative inquiry)
–What’s not working?
Dan
I think it matters whether the new Leader is in charge of a staff or business unit.
A financial person now in charge of a finance team knows the way people in those roles think and what motivates them.
A financial person now in charge of a business unit needs to understand the thought processes and what motivates manufacturing versus sales team members. It requires spending time with each part of your new team. Not the same as running a staff group and it was not easy for me to make that transition.
Brad
Make people feel safe around you.
..Know your values, strenghts and mission.
**Realize you impact others
**Practice #humility.
Every leader needs to know his strenght and weaknessess i.e being self-aware of who he is and what he aims to achieve. A good leader ask is it good for me? while a great and optimistic leader will ask, is it good for my team? I think this where #humility comes in play assuming you don’t know but looking forward to learn. Self-awareness plays a vital role in the sense the fact that you you know your goals and objectives, adapting in it and setting them aright. You need your team more they need you… Questions and evaluations are created to be solved and if you can get the positive solution, you already took a bold step. #Humility #SelfAwareness THANKS!
There are always so many gems in your posts. I feel like this one was a perfectly timed post for me.
It took me a while to learn #7 and I have keep working on it every day.
Great info in the article and comments. I would add COMMIT to your new role and realize that the set of skills that got you promoted are not the same set of skills you need to be an effective leader. As Godwin mentioned, self assessment is the key to evolving your skills so that you can inspire and empower others to do their best work.
What might you add to the 7 things listed above?
Have enough patience to understand that the impact of change takes time. What you sow will bear fruit in it’s own time. Leadership skills are cultivated and enhanced over periods of experiences. Determination and perseverance are communicated as strength, as trust is built through leadership consistency.