What should you do as a new leader?

Congratulations, you have just been promoted! How exciting!!

Whether you are promoted within your company (great job, you have been recognised for your work!) or you are entering a new company as a manager, it pays to take special attention to the points below to help you start your new chapter in your workplace.

Be Humble Not Meek
There is a difference being someone who allows their staff to walk all over them just because you want to win the most popular manager award. You end up making all the wrong decisions, not necessarily good for the company nor for the team members in the long run.

Be Tough Not Arrogant
That being said the above, don’t go swagger into the meeting room 10mins late and kept screaming “Because I said so!” Be tough on errant teammates, those who disrespect or disrupt productivity without any justification. You are not hired to be their friend but you are not a dictator as well. The key component is to strike a fair balance.

Set Your Expectations from Day 1
Some might argue that it is too early to do so from day 1 but it helps to set up clear guidelines what you expect in your team’s conduct and performance. Don’t leave the guesswork among your team, be clear and concise. I will let them my team know what irks me for examples, malicious political games in my team, and I will explain the consequences that this action will result in poor teamwork, unsavoury work environment etc.

Set a Great First Impression
First impressions always count. When you are first introduced to your team, it helps to put everyone at ease if you go in with a broad smile. Have a simple ice breaking session will help a great deal as well to loosen them up to you. Watch their body language, at the end of your first meet and greet session, you should be able to tell who is more at ease with you and who you still need to work on.

Set an Example
Don’t expect punctuality from your team if you walked in into your meeting 5 minutes late. Don’t expect meticulous work from your team if you turn up work dressed sloppily. Don’t expect respect from your team if everything that comes out from your mouth is either a shout or a curse. Enough said.

Have Fun
With all the rules above, be yourself and enjoy meeting and embracing your new team. When you are relaxed and being yourself, people tend to relax around you too. Ask questions about each of them, be interested in knowing them in depth, be sincere and generous in dishing out praises, shine through positivity.

And remember to smile. If you screw up, there’s always tomorrow!

Do you share the same outlook as me? Comment away below!