Your first leadership role is a significant event in your career. It can be unsettling to transition into a new position and start leading the work instead of doing it. Many emotions are involved in this change, such as fear, excitement, and insecurity.
New leaders often feel uncertain about their abilities and leadership qualities as they transition into new roles. However, they have the necessary skills and resources to succeed in this new environment. Here are strategies that will help you get through this transition.
- Change Perspective
Before you start thinking about your new role, it’s essential that you first celebrate the journey that you’ve been on. This will help you reflect on what you’ve done in the past and what you expect from your new role.
One of the most critical steps that you can take to get through this transition is to identify what changes you’re experiencing and how you can make the work more manageable.
- Think Before You Do
It’s overwhelming to transition into a new role and start leading the work instead of doing it. Don’t get started if you have a long list of tasks competing for your attention. Instead, take a break and think about what you’re doing.
- Practice Empathy
One of the most challenging factors for new leaders is learning to communicate with their subordinates, who used to be their peers. This can be a bit unsettling, mainly when some compete for the same position. Having the necessary empathy can help them lead others.
- Listen
It’s natural to get caught up with the excitement of a new job, but before you start thinking about what changes you’re going to make, it’s important to listen to what other people say. This will help you identify your team’s goals and priorities. You should also pay attention to the needs of your team and ensure that you can help them meet those goals.
- Find Your Leadership Style
Although there are various ways to lead, the top-down leadership model is not always the best choice. According to the book Co-Active Leadership, there are five ways that leaders can lead: from the front, from beside, from behind, from within, and from the field.
Before you start thinking about how you can incorporate these into your leadership style, it’s important that you first ask yourself some questions. For instance, if you naturally gravitate toward one type, how does this approach benefit you? You can also try other leadership methods to see if they work in your situation.
New leaders have the opportunity to create their brands as they enter their careers. Many factors go into making a successful leader, but one of the most important is to be open to showing people who you are and what you’re capable of doing. This will help them develop a more vital understanding of themselves and their goals. One of the most common reasons people fail as leaders are because they think they have to be “perfect.” This is untrue. Leaders make mistakes and learn from them.