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first 30 days as a new manager

 

Navigating the Transition to Leadership

Recently, several of my technical clients found themselves in leadership positions unexpectedly. It’s not that they didn’t want to be leaders—they did. However, the transition happened much faster and more suddenly than they anticipated. This left them struggling to regain their footing. Such transitions can occur in volatile work environments, which are becoming more common these days.

 

What to Do When You Suddenly Find Yourself in a Leadership Role

So, what should you do if you suddenly find yourself in a leadership position? It’s tempting to dive right in and prove yourself, especially if you were promoted internally and know the subject matter well. However, try to resist this temptation. Take a moment to plan. A little intentionality during your first 30 days can help you avoid mistakes driven by urgency. This approach will also help you establish a strong foundation to build on.

 

Here are some things to think about during your first 30 days:

  1. What type of leader do you want to be? Great leaders are self-aware and know how they want to show up for their team and organization. If you aren’t sure yet, think about the best leaders you’ve ever had; what qualities did they have? What behaviors and characteristics do you want to avoid?
  2. Put yourself in listen-first, learning mode. Even if you’ve been in an organization for a while, there are things you don’t know and perspectives you haven’t been exposed to. If you charge in on day one with a game plan for how you are going to “fix” everything, you will lose an opportunity to build trust and psychological safety within your team. Take the time to get input from your organization, in both group and 1:1 sessions. Learn their perspective on how things are going and make sure to really listen to the input received.
  3. Make a plan for your previous workload. An abrupt promotion can leave a new leader handling both their new role and their old one. While this might be a necessity for a while, it’s not sustainable. You will need to hand-off at least some aspects of your previous role to make the space for the new one. 
  4. Identify what new skills you need, and make a plan to learn them. It might sound strange, but new managers, especially technical ones, are often surprised (and sometimes dismayed) at just how much “people-ing” management roles require. Navigating employee conflicts, handling competing priorities and schedules, giving feedback and managing up are just a few of the time-intensive things you might need to do in your new role. Be intentional about learning these things; they can take some time to learn, but know that you CAN learn them, and give yourself some grace while doing so. 

 

1st 30 days of a new manager

 

Congratulations on Your New Leadership Role

So, if you find yourself in a new leadership role, congratulations! Starting off with these steps in your first 30 days can help set you up for success in the months to come. Elite High Performance Coaching offers several leadership training and coaching options, so please reach out if you need support!

If you’re an aspiring leader, explore our “Aspiring Leaders” course to develop the skills and mindset needed to lead with confidence and impact. Check out our leadership training courses here

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Jen Patel | High-Performance & Leadership Coach

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