You’re starting a new job in People Management. How can you quickly establish yourself as a leader?

Here's a concise version for to my Leadership Mantra: Build Relationships: Meet with your team one-on-one and shadow them to understand their roles and goals. Be a Strategic Partner: Identify team needs and advocate for their growth opportunities and achievements. Lead by Example: Showcase a strong work ethic and transparent communication. Develop Together: Collaborate on clear goals and provide ongoing coaching to help your team excel. Remember: Leadership is a continuous journey of learning and development. Focus on both your team's success and your own growth.

I would start by getting to know the individuals better - through one-on-one and group interactions, as well as visits to their work areas. I would also assess the strengths and weaknesses of the team(s). Then, I would communicate my expectations of camaraderie, collaboration and excellence.

Setting expectations is a key requirement in all the functions and it becomes even more important for a new people manager. The language, tone and the temperament all matters when you move into a team as a new people manager. Every conversation should reflect the common organisational goals as well as personal aspirations to make sure the members feel that they are in safe hands Draw a clear roadmap on how you want to take your journey as a people manager along with the team and stick to it no matter whatever happens in future. Do what you promise and never over commit just to make people happy!

Have an opinion. In meetings, you'll be expected to have opinions and set clear direction for your people and for the strategic work of your department. So even if you're new and unsure - have a voice. Listen to your colleagues first, and "fake it till you make it." Contribute to ideas and have confidence in yourself to be seen as a leader.

Building relationships is critical - but it's important that you come across as genuine rather than manipulative. People can spot a fake a mile away! I remain very impressed with Simon Sinek's book "Leaders Eat Last". He stresses that relationships done right allow us to create a culture where your peers feel safe - and safety is critical for team members to bring everything they have to the table. To feel safe, your team needs to build trust in you and understand how you work. Note that it takes a lot of effort to build a real relationship, and a few careless words to destroy it. If you ever find yourself in a one on one and not paying 100% attention, that's a red flag, and a sure-fire relationship killer. Don't let that happen to you.

I will engage with different stakeholders and foster interdepartmental collaboration. I will identify areas of improvement and work to reduce them gradually during my time in the system.

One of the best ways is to know them beyond their work / output. A team member will give it all the moment the trust factor is established. You could be a new people manager hired from an outside environment and a team member would have been a long time employee already. Conversations in these cases are little tricky. One needs to be very smart in building relationship with them by being open in understanding their strenghts/weaknesses and sharing a honest feedback. The next step is to guide them in developing / preparing for career growth and do all thats possible to uplift them.

In addition to that, We have to create an open door policy and make them feel comfortable discussing both work related and personal matters.

Feedback is an amazing tool which can do wonders or spoil the entire environment. Feedback is always a two way traffic. A leadership role doesnt necessarily mean that feedback should always be a top down approach. A people manager should believe his/her team firmly and stand by the them at all times. This can be done only when you have the patience to listen and understand from those who really do the work out on the floor.

As a new member, I will also strive to learn the expectations that my own team and other departments have from this role. I will periodically review the progress and opportunities that arise.

After assessing the team's strengths and weaknesses, assign tasks that suit each member's abilities and help them perform optimally. Recognize on time, Give due Pat on the Backs on the go. Empower them to participate in decision making.

A good leader supports and guides the team for their improvement and earns their respect in the process. Be firm when necessary but always maintain professionalism.

The one question to ask early on is: "Where can I add value?". Some aspects are harder to contribute to in the early days since they require deep understanding of the subject matter. Some are more general, and may relate to bringing people on-board, or assessing and improving processes, or just documenting your observations for others to follow. Hence, you can start by capturing your early observations, finding trusted colleagues to validate them with, and then finding ways to add value while you get onboarded.

#TheNiche Knowing who do you want to be and most importantly, how do you want to be seen, heard and valued by others. What's unique about oneself makes them a brand in others (teams) eyes. Critical is to unlearn the specifics of been an individual contributor. Knowing is knowledge, but clinging on to is baggage, which a New Manager needs to be aware of. Learn Delegate ... and let go. This will greatly help in learning new skills that are critically essential for a new Manager. Going back to the Zen Philosophy of empty cup. Such is the motivation to self as well as team.