There are few career moments as exciting, and these days as perilous, as being promoted from an individual contributor to a leader of a team or department. How can you ramp up quickly and start getting results? Here are six success strategies to hit the ground running, quickly meet performance expectations and enhance your leadership brand.
1. Begin your transition before you start the job.
Start asking critical questions: What are the key challenges? Which functions are strong and which ones need to be overhauled? Where do I have the most leverage to bring about change?
2. Acknowledge what you don’t know.
Identify those around you who are the experts and don’t be afraid to ask for their insights. This accomplishes two things: It recognizes them for their expertise and gets them to feel part of your team.
3. Settle on a few major priorities.
You can’t fix everything at once despite the pressures that are on you as the new leader. So you need to see the forests from the trees and make some strategic choices.
4. Keep an eye on the clock.
Make sure your time is used to its best advantage. If you’re like most hard-charging leaders, you’ve got a well-articulated to-do list. Now take another look: Where’s your stop-doing list?
5. Give up your old job.
You have a new job so don’t hang on to your old one. This can be hard. It’s because of your previous success that you’ve been promoted. But failure to let go of your old job causes more problems than anything else.
6. Target a few early wins…nothing succeeds like success.
It’s critical for a new leader to create momentum and start getting results. Don’t try to solve world hunger. Pick one or two problems, figure out how to fix them quickly and build your reputation.
Smart Moves Tip:
Did you know that nearly half of all new leaders fail in the first 18 months.. Many of them were surprised to discover that what got them here wasn’t enough to keep them here. You may have advanced here on your own, but now, you are only as good as your team. So spend time and energy boosting your team members — not competing with them. also check out Your Leadership Brand and Are You in the Relationship Business?
Do YOU know how to lead right – motivate right – hire right – get the right results?
Don’t Gamble With Your Future! As a newly hired or promoted leader, get up to speed and productive fast with The Effective Manager and Strong Start Coaching. Download 101 Tips
Copyright © 2012 Marcia Zidle business and leadership coach
Tags: emotional intelligence, leadership advice, leadership development, leadership skills, Marcia Zidle, new leaders