The initial few days of starting a new position can be extremely
challenging, more so if you are a first time leader. Most people like to plan before
starting their new job specially when it comes with new responsibilities. People Tools
by Alan C. Fox , talks about a young girl who loves cooking , One afternoon the young
girl was very excited and she decided to cook roast, just when she was about to place it
in the oven her mother said “cut off the edges before putting it in the oven”, the young
girl curiously asked ,Why mother? The mother hesitated for a bit and said, “that’s how
my mother used to make it”. The young girl immediately rang her grandma to get an
answer, Grandma said without hesitation “It was my mother’s way of cooking”. She then
got curious and went to visit great grandma to get an answer, when she got there and
asked her great grandma, she smiled before answering the question and said, “when we
were young we dint have an oven big enough for the roast to fit , so we cut the edges
off” the mother then realised that they did not need to do this anymore.
New
Leaders must be adaptive and innovative having their finger on the pulse every now and
then, not literally! But catching up with new trends is a must.
1) Natural Blend :
While you have just started your new role, it can be difficult to fit in just yet. Keep a natural blend, be the leader you are and develop yourself every day. Blend into a well-balanced portion of professional and casual with your team-mates to bring out the best as a team to take corrective measures as well as being open to feedback and reviews.
2) Communicator :
Being an open communicator is a master key to being a great leader, the ability to be able to listen to your teammates and communicate well with them will not only prove effective but also no hidden gaps will escape your eye. The mantra is “listen, understand, and communicate”.
3) Set expectations as a team :
Once you clarify the organisations goals with your boss, your role will be clear. Your role is to then cascade the organizational objectives to your team. Note that as step 3 in your initial days at work. Remember, you need your team as much as they need you. Involving yourself with the team and drawing expectations together will build a strong bond which will help set realistic expectations and have achievable goals.
4) Coach :
Be a teacher, a coach and mentor not a dictator. Finding the right balance between giving up too much control and being too controlling is important although there is no accuracy and it changes as per situations, a good leader believes in maintaining a balance by nurturing and giving a push when required.
5) Be Accountable :
We are not perfect, and we all make mistakes, as a leader take charge for your mistakes and help your team improve by holding them accountable for their mistakes. Being accountable does not have to be negative, your approach towards these situations can make a change. Improvise, guide, and learn from these mistakes.
6) Transformational :
Be the leader that people start feeling safe around, build a safe environment where creativity and talent are recognized and more people are inspired to think out of the box, this makes every person involved and feel equally important and valued.
7) Be Open to feedback :
Be open to criticism and feedback and keep learning and improving from the feedback you receive this will help you in making changes to meet your team’s expectations as they work on meeting yours. A true leader knows that each one’s development will increase the team’s development as whole.
“Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire other to raise their own bar.”– Orrin Woodward.
