How to Start

August 2023

BIG NEWS

Our 1-Day Leadership Retreat just got better!?Former Naval Academy Leadership instructor,?Jim Conzelman, is joining us for the day.?Jim?served 20 years in the US Navy, most recently as the Executive and Commanding Officer of Navy Operational Support Center Denver.?In previous assignments, he managed strategic human resource programs for the Chief of Navy Reserve while assigned to the Pentagon. He led 30 full-time staff and 23 unit Commanding Officers in providing training, medical evaluation and care, meals, and housing for 650 globally ready personnel.

Since the beginning of the year,?CARTO?has had lots of requests for a leadership retreat.?So, we created our first in-person event, the?1-Day Leadership Retreat.?With sessions built around the most important leadership topics we've encountered with clients, our?aim is to provide a focused space for learning, discussion, and application.?With all the interest, I've opened a few more spots for?Friday, September 29.??Group size max of 8.??Grab?your spot now!?I'd love for you to join.

ON STARTS

One of the many principles I’ve gleaned from my years in higher education is the importance of starts.?How you start sets the pace and tone for the entire year, and in education, the ethos of the year significantly matters.

Here’s how I like to break down a start:

The first DAY

The first WEEK

The first MONTH

The first QUARTER

The first YEAR

One of the most popular leadership development programs, Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” lists “Begin With the End in Mind” as Habit number two.?How you start will dictate where you go.

So, if we agree that starts are important, even vital to success, how might we apply this?

First,?be available.?If you’re a new leader your presence matters more than you realize.?Make sure that the first day, week, month, quarter, and beyond there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you are there for them.?There’s nothing worse than an absent leader.?At least a bad leader is available to shut you down.?An absent leader leaves the team wandering in ambiguity, slowly diminishing team engagement.??

Second,?communicate constantly.?The first email and all-staff meeting are key opportunities to capitalize on.?How you communicate implicitly sets the expectation for the team about your expectations for what information needs to be sent around, how fast to respond, and the tone that communication should take.?When a new leader steps up to the helm, it’s virtually impossible to overcommunicate.?Don’t underestimate the helpfulness of frequent communication out right out of the gate.

Third, set the tone.??Culture-creating starts on day one.?Everyone is subconsciously learning what the new expectations are with each decision and behavior of the new leader.?Be mindful that you have the privilege and responsibility to set the cultural tone for the team.?This is where knowing your values matter.?If you value timeliness and a positive attitude, the only way to get there is to start there.?Be the example of what you expect.?

Now, for many, this may put some added pressure on the first day, week, and month of a new job.?Yes, it does.?But I think that’s a good thing.?If you don’t feel the pressure, then you’re likely not in a position of leadership, or your abdicating your influence in favor of comfort.?But consider the alternative to leaning into the pressure.?Squander away the first day, week, month, quarter, and year and you’ll spend three times the amount of energy trying to regain what’s been lost.?It’s very, very difficult to rebuild a sense of presence, influential communication, and behavioral expectations after the fact.?Rather, lean into the start and lead with humble confidence.

All the best,

Neal Anderson, PhD