Be an Inspiring Leader

Imagine, you were promoted to the next level, after the recent performance appraisals, as the management feels that you have a strong potential. Your peers are happy for you on your promotion, however unsure, if you deserved one!

You may be a first-time leader or a seasoned one, taking over another team; we all struggle with few of these challenges:

1. How to gain respect of your team and build credibility? (When promoted over your peers)

2. How to gain their trust and build transparency?

3. How to get the job done by inspiring them rather than using force?

These are firsts of the few challenges. You have only first 90 days to create an impact. What will you do to clear the doubts of your peers? How will you guarantee trust in management’s decision? More importantly, how will you prove yourself?

Here are 3 ways to solve the above concerns. Your immediate stakeholders for the first 90 days will be your team and your manager. Map your stakeholders and you may want to follow some of the things listed below to build:

1. Credibility (Experience & Exposure)

2. Relatability (Likeability)

3. Reliability (Trust & Transparency)

Let’s dive deep in each one.

Credibility

That’s your exposure! There is difference between ‘Experience’ and ‘Exposure’. As Devesh Tiwari puts it, Experience is ‘Expertise’ and Exposure is ‘Exploration’, which could be your past experiments, initiatives, projects and risks based on your experience. Prove your exposure using your experience to your team and to your manager.

Relatability

‘People like people, who are like themselves’. People love your when you are authentic, can relate to them, are kind, empathetic, approachable and have easy sense of humour. You are liked when you are confident in your own skin. Allow the team rituals to continue. Schedule 1-on-1s’ to know your team members better as individuals, have lunch with your team at least 2 times a week, organize pot-lucks, plan Thursday night movies, throw house parties. Let your team see you as one of them – Authentic! You shall realize that mutual respect is now higher in your conversations.

Reliability

Reliability is to do with trust. Trust develops with transparency. Regular communication fosters transparency. Share a communication plan (1-on-1s’, performance discussions and career development) with your team. You will be under obligation to stick to it and moreover the ownership is also now on your team to connect regularly.

Building an ‘A’ team is a very fulfilling experience. Best luck…