Letter #6: Your Leadership Journey Starts with the Right Pack

I made the move from peer to manager back in 2017. I went from having no line reports to managing a team of 12. As someone who likes to be liked and doesn't enjoy conflict, going from their peer to their manager was THE biggest transition I've ever experienced.

I did lots of things really well but I also know in those first 6 months I did lots of things not so well... let's dig into that!

Here is my sixth (and final letter) on the topic of moving from peer to manager.

To whom it may concern,

I've chosen a pack of wolves for this metaphor here but please insert an animal of your choice.

After a few months of finding my feet and my leadership style I came to some realisations that I needed to seek out my new peer group. When I made the move from peer to manager, I started to realise that I couldn't be their friend anymore. This didn't mean that I couldn't be friendly, go out for drinks or lunches with me team - I encourage this whole heartedly. What I did have to realise though, that even in these settings, I was no longer chatting to my peers. There was now a presence of hierarchy (even if I didn't push or encourage it) and that is to be expected.

I accepted that things had changed and I was no longer their peer so... who were my new peers? For the first few months of leading a team I had completely forgotten to look to the side of me. Who was now my equivalent in other areas of the business? Who around me understood the changes I was going through? Who could help me whilst being distant enough from my day to day? In a nutshell: Who was my new pack?

So, in a 1-1 with my manager we did some stakeholder mapping to understand who around me was now going to support me, be my sounding board and cheer me on when needed. Some individuals were obvious as we were already colleagues and worked closely. Some, however, were not obvious to me until we carried out this exercise. I was so head down in my own department that I hadn't stopped to look at the talented individuals (and genuinely great human beings) around me.

So, I proactively took action and used that word that many new leaders find 'cringe': I networked! Networking doesn't need to be an external activity. If you work in a big business then networking internally should be your first step as a new leader. I put in coffees with leaders who I didn't know so well and spent 30 mins understanding their areas of the business, their pressures and their goals. Not only did I learn a lot and expanded my horizon beyond my own team and own milestones, I connected with talented men and women in my immediate network who wanted me to succeed in my role.

An additional benefit of finding my new pack (which I did not plan for), was that these individuals helped elevate my team when I needed them to. Because I had taken the time to learn about their teams and their business, they did the same for me and as a result we realised we could mutually benefit each other and help motivate and encourage our own teams to expand their remit and skill set - whilst contributing to the wider business strategy.

The results for the team:

? A team who felt empowered to connect with other areas of the business.

? A team who were sought after to work on projects across the business driving innovation.

? A team who moved around the business internally and did not leave to go to another company.

The results for me...

? A leader who accepted she was no longer the team peer but the connector and driver who was making meaningful impact to the wider business goals.

? A cross- generational leader who was starting to attract, build and retain a high performing team.

Yours sincerely,

Jess Jarrold

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