4 Traps to Avoid as You Transition into a Leadership Role

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. to make best use of the time between them. But often we fall into transition traps. And in my HBR article, I set out what these traps are and how to avoid them. We stay too long. We find it hard to leave. We enjoy the adulation. We enjoy being asked for advice. The problem is that it reduces the amount of time we need to prepare for the next role. So instead, improve how you say no to requests and actually get more comfortable with the emotions you may be feeling, whether it's a sense of loss, fear, or hopefully excitement. If you've left well, you're probably feeling on a bit of a high and you don't want it to stop, so you don't.

1:04The problem is this is a time when you should be replenishing your energies. Why not take time for a health check? Start creating some better habits. Have some conversation with your loved ones, including yourself, about what it will take to succeed in the new role. You'll have learned a lot during the selection process and started to form opinions and judgments about the organization. The problem is when they become hard-coded. You stop asking questions. It often leads you into the wrong areas of the business. Instead, write down what you know, write down what you don't know, and set out a plan to test the assumptions you have.

1:36By now, you'll have a management model that served you well. The problem is when you force-fit it to the organisation when it actually needs something else. Instead, look afresh at what the organisation might become at its best. Look at its challenges and start thinking about the changes it might need to make, and then apply your wisdom and experience where relevant.