So,
You’ve finally got the big role you’ve been after.
You feel that your determination has paid off and now you are on to greater adventures through your new–big- role. Good for you.
I want to make something very clear, here & now. I’m not going to tell you how to feel about it & how to manage yourself, what's the “success” recipe or other flamboyant claims as such. Each person is unique on its life approach. What works for me doesn’t necessarily work for you.
All I aim in this post is to share my personal experience & set of mind in 5 bullets. Maybe you find some of the them useful and some other not. Keep the ones you can relate. Ignore the ones you think is all Bull*, as I would as well ;-)
- Don’t try to prove why you got the job:
It is a common symptom that people getting promoted try to justify the reasons why. “People are watching me” you might think, “therefor I should show why I go the job”.
This is a typical mistake people tend to do, especially when they are getting a big role for the first time. It’s the natural prime human behaviour of Homo Sapiens. When the Alpha male becomes the leader of the pact it takes all its efforts to justify why he is the Alpha Male. Many times in the past I personally fell into the same trap. Here is the Domino effect that happened to me back then in the days:
I started being defensive as I needed to prove I was right --> By being defensive I became distant and non approachable. Therefor if people had ideas they wouldn't share them with me --> Since people didn't share with me, they didn't count on my opinion --> It doesn’t matter why I was in this big position anyhow – no one could care less about me, what I said or what I thought.
Although painful back then, this was the best lesson of my life. It shaped me as a professional & gave me the knowledge (even the hard way) of what it takes to swim in uncharted waters. And here is why: "Being open about the fact that you don't know much, gives you the power to do even more". Think about it. If you are open about the fact that you don't have all the answers people will be patient with you, respect you & in fact help you shape this task together as they can add tangible value. And that’s really cool because it gives you the opportunity to self-discover your role & unlock potential you have never thought of. Think as if you are a Scientist. No scientist ever said "I know the one and ultimate truth about my subject" & discovered something great. On the contrary, the 1st dogma of every scientist is ”I don’t know anything about it, let’s see what I can find out something”.
That’s the attitude you should openly & bravely have - plus it’s liberating.
- Listen a lot / Talk a little:
This is in fact the natural continuation of “admitting your humble ignorance” about the role. Ignorance opens the door to question marks. The more you ask the better. Especially at the beginning that is your “honey moon” period in your new role when no-one expects miracles from you. So ask a lot & listen to what peoples say. Don’t try to come up with an answer immediately. Just filter the insight & save it for later. When all pieces come together, everything will start making sense ;-)
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes:
If anything, make sure you promise that you will make as many as possible, so you can learn from them. Greatest failure is not acting at all. It is always when we fail that we learn, thus the famous quote: “You never lose. You always win or learn”. So take it easy, be humble and feel ok to make mistakes or ask stupid questions. Great managers are full of questions. They will ask 20-30 "stupid" ones. But 1 or 2 will be SO good that will make a difference to the business.
- Lead by example:
If you want people to be creative, you need to develop an open, out of the box culture where all inputs are welcome. If you want people to be constructive & challenge the status quo, you need to create the culture of thriving to make a difference. If you want people to express their thoughts in a clear, constructive way, you should be the first on doing it. And most importantly if you want people to have an entrepreneurial spirit, you should be the first one encouraging calculating risks, trial & error.
- Share the vision & find co-believers:
Vision is the state of mind when: what we imagine as the perfect scenario, meets the reality in near future. As a concept it is hard to grasp, that's why there are not many great leaders that can explain and build their vision in a simple manner. Having a vision of where you want your job role to be & everything that comes with it (the department you work for, the company, your brand) in the near future is what will drive and justify every single action you do throughout your time in this role.
Last but not least: ENJOY IT! Fun is a crucial part of our life. If it's all about swimming in uncharted waters, at least be the cool guy who wears the bright swimming suit with the yellow pineapples & pink flamingos ;-)
