Once You Are There: Wear Your Own Shoes

When you are new in a leadership position, you are replacing your predecessor, for better or worse.  In either case, don’t get snared in the trap of trying to fill someone else’s shoes.  If you expect your team to follow your lead, they should see YOUR footprints, not just a continuation of the past.  This does not mean a wholesale change of style or approach.  But it does mean that the team will expect to see your own imprint on the organization. This is where having looked at form and function will be helpful.  If you understand the mission and vision of the organization, and you see why it works the way it does, you can implement change without devaluing the status quo.  Working from what already exists provides stability and reassurance to your team.  This in turn gives you a better line of sight into the organization, to help you determine the direction in which the footprints need to move.


It is good (and humbling) to remember that the organization existed before you took your position.  Especially if you are new to an organization, many processes and procedures may strike you as strange, or even wrong.  More likely, they are just different.  Mastering and understanding these differences is key to your success.  If change is needed, you should approach it thoughtfully and with an understanding of the organizational context. You will find that some people will prefer the old shoes.  There will inevitably be resistance to a change in leadership.  Don’t take it personally.  Old friendships, alliances and loyalties need to be worked through, and it will take time.  During the transition period, some of your colleagues will likely be difficult to deal with.  Remember that it doesn’t cost you anything to be gracious to these people, even if they don’t always merit it.  It is often the case that those unhappy with the change either will work through it and be fine, or will opt out.  In either case, if you have taken the high road you will have at least avoided having made enemies, and quite possibly gained allies.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Keeps You Up At Night?

This is a question that leaders are often asked.   I have never understood it.   I guess it is supposed to help leaders focus on what needs attention in their organizations.   I always shocked interviewers by telling them that as president of my institution I slept soundly most nights. “Why?” they would ask.   My answer was simple.   I had assembled a solid team that at its height spanned the globe, or a good part of it.   With hundreds of thousands of students and tens of thousands of faculty and staff, I was always sure that somewhere in my organization there was a problem.   I was also sure that there was someone on my team who was addressing that issue, and that if necessary I would be briefed in the morning. No need to toss and turn. I always reminded myself that my team was applying multiple points of view--and a lot of expertise-- to any problem, and that often my personal perspective was limited by my distance from the issue. Worrying ...
Read more

Gratitude and Graciousness

Be grateful that you get to be a leader.   “Grateful to whom?” you may ask.   Good question.   Certainly you should be grateful to those who helped you along the way and those who support you in your leadership position.   The next question is how you demonstrate your appreciation.   This part is a bit more complicated.   One key way is to succeed.   Those who have encouraged and backed you will relish your accomplishments.   They may not always express their pleasure directly, but trust me, they are watching and are invested in your success. If you are lucky, you will at some point have the opportunity to receive acknowledgment from your advocates.   But they are there nonetheless. A second way to express gratitude is through graciousness.   This comes in two forms.   The first is to be amicable, patient and generally accommodating to those around you, especially those who are lower on the ladder.   Many of them want to b...
Read more

Digital Leadership in Education and other Myths

I recently received an email from a good friend and colleague who had attended a panel discussion where he was asked to comment on Digital Leadership.    His judgment was that Digital Leadership does not exist—it is a myth (his word).   His take on the term is that it is one of many fuzzy (my word) buzzwords that permeate higher education today.   He further opined that the term is “another colleague try[ing] to carve out a new niche by playing semantics.”   I couldn’t agree more with this perspective.   But I think that it may be too kind.   As I have mentioned in previous posts, there is a substantial body of literature rife with definitions of leadership (a quick Google search will reveal at least 100), types (autocratic, facilitative, strategic, etc.), and approaches (push or pull, for instance).   In addition, leadership is often differentiated by profession.   What it takes to lead in the financial world must somehow be fundamental...
Read more