This informal CPD article ‘Leadership Starts Here’ was provided by London Optimum Training & Consultancy (LOTC), a UK-based training and consultancy provider committed to professional development and organisational performance.
When you are given a leadership role, you need to prepare yourself for intense learning and adaptation. From getting your feet under the desk to developing your competences, there are many challenges in store for you. When you become a leader, you need to understand quickly what is expected from you and from your team. Your company will provide you with guidance, or formal leadership training for managers, but don’t assume that you’ll get the complete picture. A lot of the groundwork will be up to you. The best leaders prepare well before they begin (1).
Preparing for leadership
Do some basic groundwork and research. Discuss how your role aligns with organisational plans and when team objectives are expected. Talk to the outgoing leader about the demands of the role and the team dynamics. Research your team and request performance figures and HR files. Ask the outgoing leader and your peers what information will be of most use. This kind of preparation is common practice in management consulting and helps leaders avoid early mistakes (2).
The early phase of leadership
Throughout the first few weeks in your new role, you will be overwhelmed with information. Unfortunately, you won’t necessarily know which of this data is of strategic importance, and which is just minor detail. Head off early errors by being systematic. File the information and make a list of what you have received. Review this list weekly and try to place the relative significance of each piece of information in a broader context (3). You’ll also be introduced to many new people, so make a mental note or carry a notebook to write names down.
Your arrival as the team’s new leader will naturally raise expectations for improvement. However, you may discover that some expectations are less than realistic. For example, your team’s previous leader may have provided detailed guidance on how work should be carried out. If your leadership style is more about empowering your team to make their own decisions, they may initially feel poorly supported and even resentful of the added responsibility. Early in your tenure, you should ask others what assumptions they have about you and your role (4). You can then begin to address any discrepancies between their expectations and your reality.
The importance of prioritising
As a leader, you are likely to be inundated with communications, requests, new tasks, and initiatives. Recognising what is really important is critical to your success and that of your team. It is vital that how you spend your time reflects your priorities. It is easy to get distracted from key tasks by less important, but nonetheless urgent activities (5). Prioritising your actions is something you should schedule in every day, and approach with discipline.
Final thoughts
Taking on a leadership role is a big step. How you prepare and organise yourself in the early days will make a real difference to how well you and your team perform. Spending time understanding what is expected of you and focusing on the most important tasks will help you start well. Good leaders don’t rush to make changes just to be noticed. They take time to listen ask questions and learn before acting (6). This helps build trust and avoids mistakes that can be hard to undo. You don’t need to have all the answers straight away. Leadership is about learning as you go, setting clear priorities, and supporting your team. If you prepare properly and focus on what matters, you give yourself and your team the best chance to succeed.
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REFERENCES
(1) Watkins, M. D. (2013). The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter. Harvard Business Review Press.
(2) Block, P. (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. Pfeiffer.
(3) Bawden, D., & Robinson, L. (2009). The dark side of information: overload, anxiety and other paradoxes and pathologies. Journal of Information Science, 35(2), 180-191.
(4) Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Life cycle theory of leadership. Training & Development Journal, 23(5), 26–34.
(5) Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.
(6) Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading Change. Harvard Business School Press.
