Jump With Caution, Pt.2
Leaders never stop developing, so new (and repackaged) leadership advice never stops springing up.
Before you jump on it, here are a few more things to caution.
ADVICE: Relationships are a two-way street. It’s as important for your team to get to know their new leader as it is for you to get to know your new team. Thinking more holistically, you should nurture effective relationships across your organization by engaging with your HR partner, cross-functional peers, skip-level reports, vendors & partners, and customers. Building and maintaining these relationships is critical to getting things done. Nurturing relationships with individuals and groups who have influence in your organization, and thus who can impact your success, can be a way to strategically build support. But, success is not the only reason to build relationships - we’ve learned that work friendships and connections lead to greater happiness at work!
CAUTION: Be intentional in your investment into key relationships while thinking about the long haul. Relationships should not be transactional or transitional because that will jeopardize authenticity. It also doesn’t set your career up for long-term growth if relationship work is short-sighted.
(BONUS) CAUTION: Unauthentically or unintentionally linking your goals or early wins to influential people could put you on the political scheming side of office politics and you could lose credibility if it looks as though you have an agenda, you act from a self-serving place, or you are politically unaware.
ADVICE: Being authentic and open with your team creates stronger relationships. A greater understanding of one another will build deeper levels of trust. This ever-increasing trust leads to high engagement, belonging, and ownership. When can someone feel authentic and open? When they feel safe. Get feedback from your team to create a safe culture that not only allows for but encourages new ideas, new challenges, and critical thinking without being inhibited by the fear of judgment.
CAUTION: When getting team feedback about psychological safety, if you don't think your team is answering openly, then that is feedback in and of itself that you have some work to do.
ADVICE: As you begin your new role, check your ego at the door. You can't possibly have all the answers (you've only been in this role for 10 minutes), but you can ask questions to gain insight and gather information that will help you lead in context. Get knowledgeable about your industry, marketshare, products, and services. Speak to your manager, your team, and your cross-functional peers about the good, bad, and ugly of your organization’s current state. Build your business acumen by asking questions. The more intentional you are when listening to various stakeholders, the more you'll be able to learn how best you can add value.
CAUTION: You don’t want to ruffle any feathers. When you reach out to ask your Stakeholder Web questions, give them some context and explain that your goal is to listen and learn to gain context and information which will help you make decisions along your journey.
ADVICE: Sometimes tough decisions lead to tough conversations. Most people don't love having them – it's difficult and it can make us feel uncomfortable for many reasons. On the flip side, if we don’t have tough conversations, then we bypass the opportunity for growth. To make the hard convos a little less hard: be proactive (not reactive), prep ahead, create and sustain psychological safety, don’t sugar coat, listen (listen, and listen some more), take yourself out of the equation, and follow the golden rule.
CAUTION: Keep the conversation confidential. Maintaining confidentiality shows respect to your employee and models the kind of consideration that you want to see from the rest of your team.
(BONUS) CAUTION: Document the conversation to ensure that there is no miscommunication. This can also help you stay on track with any follow-ups.
(BONUS) CAUTION: Set a time to circle back after the conversation to check in person-to-person to see how they are processing the conversation and how they are feeling afterwards.
Jump with caution and develop your leadership with intention.
