The 4 Phases Of A Successful Leadership Transition
Congratulations if you’re in a new leadership position. As a new leader you are going through a leadership transition: you’re embarking on what can be a time of great personal and professional growth — as long as you take it step by step and follow a few basic principles. Jay Mcdonald, a long-time CEO coaching leaders to be their best. Vistage Chair, board member, keynote speaker shared his ideas in Forbes magazine.
The long years spent in leader positions taught him several important principles of successful leadership transition. First and foremost is that being thrust into a leadership role doesn’t automatically make you a leader. But when you’re hired to effect change, a leader, rather than a manager, is what you need to be.
Getting off on the right foot as a leader is essential consists of four phases:
Learn
The first step of your leadership transition is to start by learning as much as you can. Talk to the previous leader, if possible, about what worked and what didn’t. Talk to people at the grassroots level — employees, vendors and customers — about what they like and don’t like. Understand the processes and the people. Get a sense of the past and what’s already there.
Assess
Don’t go in ready to aim and shoot, but if the situation is terrible, be a quick study. Assess your talent. Do you have the right talent to accomplish what you need to accomplish? If not, are there people in the organization who could be part of the leadership team? What changes will you need to make in structure, technology, customer experience, employee culture and vendor relations?
Communicate
People resist change when they don’t understand what’s happening. So as you get your bearings, start communicating. People know change is coming but not the magnitude. Communicate the state and direction of the business clearly, and relate it to each person. Use whatever means of communication you have, such an in-house newsletter, staff meetings, private lunches and companywide video conferences.
Act
Whatever actions you need to take, be fair, decisive and quick. If hard decisions as layoffs are necessary to make, don’t drag them out. When you must reduce staff, do it with integrity, and leave the departing employees with their self-esteem intact while assisting them in their new job search. If you have good people doing obsolete jobs, try to find them other roles in the company. Hold everyone accountable, including yourself.
Perhaps the most important point to remember is that you can’t be a leader without followers. You have to earn your new team’s trust and respect. So keep your eyes, ears and mind open.
If you are in the position of a newly appointed leader, do not hesitate to ask for help. I offer a series of coaching sessions for leadership transition from team leaders to executive managers. Check my offer for leadership transition coaching program and book a free consultation so you can be the successful leader you are supposed to be.