The 8 most important Do’s and Don’ts for a new leader

Taking up a more senior leadership role is exciting but can also be daunting in the early stages. I’ve put together the eight of the?most important Dos and Don’ts you need to consider when you’re a new senior leader. If you’ve recently stepped into a leadership role congratulations on the recognition of your hard work and skills. Take a moment to enjoy this achievement but also take some time to consider what to do, and what not to do, in the days ahead.?

1 - DON’T TRY TOO HARD?

When you first get into your senior leadership role there may be a lot of uncertainty to deal with. This can trigger insecurity about your ability to meet expectations. What sometimes happens is that people try too hard to be liked and accepted by producing perfect work and getting everything right. Instead of taking this path, I encourage you to focus on how you add value to your leadership position. This will mean different things at different times. Sometimes your role will be to support others to succeed, and at other times it means presenting your ideas, getting others on board and creating change.?

2 - DO LAYOUT A STRATEGY AND MILESTONES?

To get to your first leadership position you’ve probably read the books and articles on leadership. You’ve been on training programmes and you’re looking forward to finally putting the tactics into practice.?However, tactics are only helpful if they are part of a broader strategy to create a sustainable and influential style of leadership. Before you start using those tactics think about your leadership strategy. Create key milestones that aren’t just about your deliverables, but are about how you will support other people’s deliverables. Leadership is about supporting others, it’s not about you being a superstar and getting everything right. It’s about your ability to use your skills for operational insights, to support your colleagues and organisation to thrive. Your success as a leader is reliant on your colleagues’ success. Create a narrative around what your leadership values and practices are, along with the milestones and deliverables that will represent them. Only then should you think about which tactics are most appropriate to get there.?

3 - DON’T TRY TO CONTROL TOO MUCH?

When we’re in new situations and feeling anxious, one response may be to try to control things. You may find yourself trying to control every detail in your new leadership role out of?fear that you'll be shown up or exposed in some way. However, all this does is signal to others that you feel insecure. Equally, it undermines the things that have a value add for you. Your team and those around you need to see you as someone who is accountable and takes responsibility. But you shouldn't be so knee-deep in the details that you are micromanaging them or their work through your fear. Leadership positions are usually about focusing on the bigger picture rather than granular details.?

4 - DO STEER PEOPLE?

Leadership is about supportively directing people in different directions. It’s not about slamming your foot on the accelerator as much as it is about giving people a roadmap of where you want them to go with you. To do this you need to develop relationships with the people you report to, those who report to you, people who are senior to you and with your peer group. Developing relationships will create the safety that people need to trust you to steer them in the right direction.?

5 - DON’T LET FEAR RUN THE SHOW?

Stepping into a new leadership role is often about stepping up to the limitation of your competency. You may have come from an operational role or a role of less responsibility that had a focus on your work and your outcomes. However, now you need to learn to rely on those around you. Your role is to support and lead them in a way that produces results. It is not unusual to be fearful or insecure during this transition. But if you allow that fear to run the show you’ll start behaving in ways that limit team and individual performances. Anxiety doesn't focus on our ability to try and overcome challenges, instead, it focuses on limiting beliefs and staying safe. This is the self-protective side of fear which is great if you’re hiding in a cave from a wild animal, but not so helpful in a corporate environment! Fear usually minimises opportunity and options to create less risk. Leadership is risky, so acknowledge your fear but don’t let it control your behaviour.

6 - DO MANAGE EXPECTATIONS

A key way to manage this risk is to manage the expectations of others. This applies to your direct reports, your peers, and your senior colleagues. People often unconsciously project their expectations onto us, and we can sometimes unconsciously engage with those expectations, even if they are unrealistic for the role or situation. Before trying to meet people’s expectations first assess if this is something that you have full control of, or if it is something that you can influence. If it is something that you only influence then it is important to bring this up in conversation, develop strategies around that influence and figure out how to support them in reaching the outcomes they want. Remember that you may need to take other people and organisational structures into account here too, which can limit your influence. You can show your willingness to support someone’s goals while also reminding them to keep their expectations realistic if it’s something that is outside of your sphere of influence or control. Manage expectations as early as possible so that people are not disappointed when their expectations clash with the reality of your role and the organizational structure.??

7 - DON’T ACT OUT?

We often default to our preferred ways of managing stress and anxiety: fight, flight or freeze. Recognise that when you’re under pressure in your new role you may start to act out in these ways, by micromanaging others, trying to control things, avoiding conflict or being aggressive. Think about the ways that you act out when you’re in stressful situations and try to find a more positive way of dealing with your stress. Think about what will foster the outcome you want – to be known for being influential and inspiring. This might require you to do things in ways that feel less comfortable than your default styles but it will have a better long term outcome.?

8 - DO UPSKILL?

This may seem like an obvious one but often when there is a change of leadership there will be a change of culture alongside it. You may need to develop your skills and learn to implement them effectively within your organisation. This isn’t about getting another qualification or a framed certificate for your new office, I’m talking about your ability to develop skills to apply what you have learned, or new information that you’re learning to create the results that you want. It’s about getting additional knowledge and practical insights that support your leadership aspirations. Leadership development coaching, either in a group, or one-to-one can help you to move past your fears so that you can lead with impact.?

Book a free consultation with Sile Walsh to discuss your leadership development needs.

Originally posted on www.silewalsh.com