Are you taking on a new leadership role? Or hiring a new leader? If so, we suggest being very intentional about what you do and how you do it as they start. Being wise in the honeymoon period is crucial for new leaders to make the impact needed, rather than flame out. Leaders can invest their time to gather data, diagnose what’s really needed, and build the relationships and understanding to actually deliver durable results. In other words, start a bit more slowly to build quickly – because purpose-driven organizations do not have time to waste.
Situation – the temptations for new leaders
Does this sound familiar? An organization gets excited during interviews about a new leader coming on board – and that new leader is pretty excited too. And all, to be honest, are nervous or have reservations. Call it cautious optimism.
There’s a honeymoon phase. Everyone assumes positive intentions; people give the benefit of the doubt while getting to know each other. At the same time, they put Every Move a new leader makes under the microscope for signs of what is to come. And many people can project their fondest wishes on that new leader, seeing what they want to see, even making conflicting demands.
We have seen a continuum of less-than-helpful approaches to launching new leaders. People start with great intentions but deliver far less than promised.
For many new leaders, there is strong temptation, even pressure to dive in and DO. To prove their worth, they start making changes fast. Sometimes that’s the optimal path – but not always. Leaders can denigrate the work to date and alienate their teams, their boards, with brash tactics. They can throw the baby out with bath water because they ignored critical information in implementation, making their grand plans fall flat.
For other new leaders, they can be too timid, too conciliatory, always gathering data but not moving to action. Leaders who hesitate to make changes for fear of alienating people or making a mistake. Leaders who say “I am new here” six months to a year into their tenure, undercutting people’s confidence in them.
Despite great skill and intention, new leaders can
squander the good will of the honeymoon phase.
Negative initial impressions become baked-in reputations,
derailing them and their organizations.
Purpose-driven organizations do not have time for this.
So how do new leaders launch successfully?
It doesn’t have to be this way. New leaders and their organizations can invest time during the honeymoon period – a new leader’s first six months – to intentionally onboard:
Reflect – If you are the leader: How have I transitioned to past roles? Do I stress proving myself too quickly? What reputation do I want to create here?
If you are hiring that leader: How have we helped leaders transition in the past? Who should that leader talk to, inside and outside the organization, to know us better? What support can we provide?
Diagnose the situation – New leaders can see things with fresh eyes. IF given the time to engage with people inside and outside the organization, to review the numbers, and cover due diligence, they can truly understand what the challenges are. Michael Watkins advocates for this in The First 90 Days. He suggests new leaders assess what situation their organization is in, what he calls the STARS model – Start-ups, Turnarounds, Accelerated Growth, Realignment, and Sustained Success.
Calibrate goals with reality – What you do for a turnaround (when there is broad agreement about what needs to change, and the organization almost desperately wants a plan from that leader to do it), is quite different from a realignment (when the challenges are real, imminent, or even already here, but there is inconsistent awareness, so even more inconsistent commitment). For realignments, leaders need to prepare the soil – build awareness of and then commitment to the plan – before planting. Leaders who skip or rush this step, treating realignments as turnarounds, make it harder to solve the problem. It is counterintuitive, but by going too fast, they waste time.
Set goals that match where the team is, not where you wish it is.
Build commitment and set expectations – Once leaders have diagnosed the situation and set realistic goals, they need to share their thinking with their boss, board, and other key stakeholders. Invite them in, start a real conversation. And develop that common understanding of what is changing and why.
Get feedback from the start – Every organization has its norms and ways of working, somewhat like a dialect new leaders might not completely understand. Leaders who share that upfront, who set the expectation that they will not ‘get it right’ and need honest insight, have an advantage. They can shift things, match their intent and impact, and build trust before reputations become solidified and much harder to change. That foundation is crucial when things get challenging in transitions.
Get support – mentors, coaches*, and former colleagues can be valuable sounding boards for you in this complicated time.
Remember purpose – why you joined the organization, why you hired that leader. Tap into that shared goal and excitement to navigate the inevitable storms in the honeymoon period and beyond.
*We are often approached by organizations and/or new leaders for one-on-one coaching. This investment accelerates leadership transitions, so the organization pivots to best respond to tumultuous times. Coaches use skillful questioning, provide leaders with useful feedback and resources, and are a confidential and reliable sounding board to help the transition. This coaching is additive and supplemental to their supervisor’s or board’s support. Read more about our one-on-one coaching service, and go here to reach out for a complimentary consultation.