With that super-exciting promotion you just received comes a thrilling new title and a lot more responsibility. One of the biggest changes you face is adjusting to having several employees who now report directly to you. Having a junior team member under you is a big responsibility.
During your career, there will be many situations in which you prove you are good at one thing – anything from structuring deals or graphic design to writing and sales – and then as a reward you are promoted to a job where you have to do something entirely different, like managing employees. Managing your colleagues and being responsible for their growth and development is so important, and takes a lot of work. To help you succeed in your new role, below is a checklist for leadership and how you should handle it.
- Own it. You were selected to take on this responsibility and that means people trust you to do it right. Be confident that you can, and use that empowered attitude to lead your team.
- Be sure to balance that confidence with humility and approachability. Always maintain an open-door policy with your team so that they can trust and respect you.
- Help the people who report directly to you set goals and then give them the freedom to get them done. Tell them what to get done, not how to do it. This way, you won’t waste time micromanaging when you could be needed elsewhere.
- Be yourself. If you try to lead in a way that isn’t authentic to you, people will notice. Lead with authenticity and find your own voice and style.
- Turn your vision into action. Don’t just put words on a piece of paper but rather help everyone know where you want them to go and how to get there.
- Lead by example always. Promote the behavior you hope to see in your team, and be mindful of the ways you conduct yourself on a daily basis.
- Always offer real-time, encouraging and candid feedback. It is always best to help your teammates grow in a timely manner, rather than waiting for their review to say something. This prevents bad habits from developing, and helps maintain expectations.
- Don’t forget you were once in the junior shoes and always remember that. This mindset will keep you humble and approachable.
