4 Things That Sink New Executives, and How to Overcome Them

When moving up the career ladder, 50-70% of executives fail within 1,5 years of their new assignment. Despite that, these executives were high-potentials, though. So it couldn’t have been because they weren’t capable. So what made them slip? Intensive research has uncovered four ‘derailers’ and how to overcome them.

1. Avoid a larger-than-life persona by defining your image Perception is everything.

When you become a leader, people suddenly start seeing your differently. Some leaders are attributed celebrity status, others become fearful dictators in the eyes of their beholders. To overcome this misinterpretation, leaders must have the courage to confront these misconceptions and try to anticipate the reactions of others before others broadcast them incorrectly to a wider audience.

2. Neutralize the megaphone effect by crafting purposeful messages

New executives are not only perceived differently, the way they communicate is also amplified by the looking glass. Words, pauses, small talk, impactful words, … they are all attributed more meaning than the executive intends. Remain mindful in how to formulate organisation’s views. There is no ‘small talk’ at the top of organisations. Take extra time to consider the impact of thoughts and views. Do it genuinely and precisely.

3. Don’t resent sifted data, learn to work with it

When leaders are elevated in their new roles, they notice they don’t have access to data they used to have. Information is filtered now. Knowledge means power. Suddenly, they found themselves out of access to information they could previously freely rely on. No leader will get access to the data he used to have before. But, if he can be up front with information needs, mindful on people’s concerns, and above all, consistent in style to handle hard truths with grace and honesty, he will get increasingly complete data.

4. Embrace the aliens next door

Former peers become direct reports, former superiors a new set of peers. Relationships once characterized as familiar will never be the same. Politics at top level make it hard to trust the new peers. And even though executives still feel like the same person, everything else will never be the same. Successful leaders redefine relationships and reset boundaries to send a clear signal for desiring trusting relationships. They deliberately discuss priorities, accessibility, information flow, and mutual expectations of influence and confidentiality. So, even though distortions are unavoidable for leaders in a transition, a lot will depend on how they respond. If they remain in control, they can accelerate early wins to become a successful leader.

Read the full article: https://hbr.org/2016/02/4-things-that-sink-new-executives-and-how-to-overcome-them