LMA INSIGHTS: PREPARING TO LEAD

A little preparation can make the transition to full-time management less of a psychological shock to the system.

Words: Richard Nugent

Whether your first step into management has been carefully planned or thrust upon you out of the blue, there is something unique about the mix of excitement and anxiety that comes with the first days of the job. Even experience in an assistant or supporting role won’t fully prepare you for the mental challenges of being in charge, with all the pressure and responsibilities that it entails. There are, however, things you can do to get ready to lead, starting with these five areas of focus:

CLARIFY YOUR VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

Perhaps the single most important piece of work you can do ahead of starting your first job is to get clear on what your leadership values and principles are. Numerous pieces of leadership research tell us that we are more likely to follow, engage with and be motivated by someone who is clear on what they stand for and who demonstrates those beliefs consistently. 

What can your team expect from you? How will you show up for your staff every day? What is your core belief about people and leadership, and how are you going to live that every day?

DEVELOP DIFFERENT CONNECTIONS

As a leader, one of the biggest changes early on is likely to be the nature of your relationships. You will never be able to have quite the same connection with a group again. With this in mind, it is vital to develop a new, different set of connections in order to avoid the sense of isolation that many leaders feel. 

If you have the opportunity to recruit your own staff, they can form part of the group that gives you that important social connection, but you also need to think beyond this. Who will you spend time with away from work? Who are your trusted confidants? Who will give you energy when you need it and who can help you to relax? When things are at their toughest, who are the best people to spend time with? 

You will need your connections at the most difficult of times, so don’t leave relationships and support to chance.

PRIORITISE RECOVERY

Too many leaders think that relentlessness is the foundation of success, but you can’t expect yourself to perform at your best without structured rest and recovery.

Recovery should be viewed as an important performance factor, and as such it must be scheduled, protected and regular. As a new leader, there is so much to learn, and so many new situations will challenge you mentally and drain your energy. The idea that it is healthy and productive to work at maximum capacity every day is outdated. Schedule social time, exercise, family and relaxation and stick to the schedule diligently. 

EMPOWER PEOPLE

There might be a temptation in your first job to stay in firm control by doing everything yourself. However, a consistent trait of genuinely confident leaders is their ability to relinquish power. Doing so means forward planning. 
If you’re clear on your values and principles, it should be easier to decide what you do and what others will be responsible and accountable for. It also helps if you are able to recruit your own staff, with an understanding of what you need them to deliver and how. 

Whether or not you hire your own staff, it’s important to set people clear goals and expectations, then let them get on with doing their jobs. If they underperform or under-deliver, manage them, but also remember to give them feedback on good work so they can learn, progress and be more willing to do it again. Delegation can itself take time, so ideally all of this should be planned ahead of your first day in the job.

SELF-LEADERSHIP AND WELLBEING

When preparing for large-scale change, there are four critical areas for self-leadership and wellbeing.

These should be developed ahead of your first role to give a solid emotional base for the challenges and excitement ahead: 

Self-efficacy – the sense that you can make a difference, learn and overcome challenges. This can be developed by reflecting on previous successes and by gathering feedback from others. 

Self-esteem – by focusing on times when you have had a positive impact on others and contributed to challenging situations, you will increase the value you place in yourself. 

Resilience – the ability to recover from challenges is an innate one. Spending time reviewing situations when you have overcome difficulties further develops resilience. 

Self-confidence – the core emotional state of trust in yourself is crucial for optimal performance and decision making. Reflect on situations when you felt naturally confident and imagine yourself in other more challenging situations feeling just as confident. Remember, confidence is an internally generated state rather than something that develops as a result of external achievements. 

START NOW

Many leaders run headlong into their jobs without preparing themselves, mentally and emotionally, to face the myriad of decisions and the complex challenges that the job entails. With a solid foundation, based around the four critical areas, you’ll have the best chance of making the most of that first, crucial opportunity. 

Give yourself time to consider the role from every angle. What will leadership mean to you? How will you live your values and principles? What are your motivations and hopes, and are your expectations realistic? Think, too, about who you will surround yourself with and what roles they might play, at work and away from it, and who you might turn to for support and advice. Leave nothing to chance, especially not your wellbeing.