Welcome to Mind Tools' Video Learning Series. Are you leading a new team? Or heading up a different department? Maybe you've just been appointed CEO of the whole organization! You'll likely feel excited by the new challenges awaiting you. But you may also feel anxious and overwhelmed by the new responsibilities that you'll be taking on. After all, if something goes wrong, the buck now stops with you! New leaders are especially vulnerable to being caught out by difficult situations, so in this video we'll look at seven things you can do to get your new leadership role off to a great start:
First, examine the aims of your organization by looking through its mission and vision statements, if it has them. Do they reflect your company's purpose? Will they motivate your people and engage customers? If not, now's the time to clarify or refresh it. Now, think about what could go wrong. Do a risk analysis to test the roles and processes that make your organization run. Are they still viable? Do any changes need to be made? This will help you to avoid unpleasant surprises – and to spot opportunities. You'll also need key decision-makers on your side. A stakeholder analysis can help you to identify people who hold the real power in your firm – and what makes them tick. Try to make meaningful connections with these players early on. If you can, call or meet them before your first day. Ask what problems they're facing, but also what's working well. Next, review your organization to get a picture of its overall health. Look at processes, people, values, culture, and management structure – in detail.
How do they relate to each other? What's working? And what needs to change? Also, question how robust this information is. Are financial accounts up to date? Are goals and targets appropriate? And will they motivate people? Do they tie in with the organization's over-arching mission? And, how are you monitoring progress? Now it's time to review the information you've gathered. This will help you to clarify how the reality differs from what is being planned. Specifically, identify whether any teams are struggling with heavy workloads. What could be the cause of this? Perhaps there are bottlenecks or inefficiencies that need to be addressed. Also, are there any outcomes that appear "too good to be true"? Does this mean that corners are being cut? And, finally, are there any departments with high staff turnover or sickness? What could be the cause? Perhaps there's a lack of management or a source of conflict that needs to be addressed.
As a leader, your work never stops. So, build time into your schedule to scan for potential problems, find solutions in advance, and look for new opportunities. Do this by meeting with colleagues from different departments regularly – in person or virtually. This will help you to gather regular feedback on processes, workloads and customer expectations. If you want to learn more about taking responsibility in a new leadership role, see the article that accompanies this video. © 2022 Mind Tools by Emerald Works Ltd.