98 / TAKING UP YOUR LEADERSHIP ROLEPreparing to lead
Giving yourself a head start
It pays to prepare for your leadership
role even before your first day on the
job. Do some basic groundwork and
research: ask your employer where you
fit into their organizational plans; ask
when you will be expected to produce
objectives for your team; and when and
how your performance—and that of your
team—will be assessed. If possible, ask
to meet the outgoing leader and discuss
the demands of the role and the team
dynamics. Research your team: request
performance figures and personnel files;
ask the outgoing leader and your peers
what information will be of most use.Managing data
Throughout the first few weeks in your
new role, you will be deluged with
information. Unfortunately, you won’t
necessarily know which of this data is of
strategic importance, and which is just
minor detail. Head off early errors by
being systematic; file the information
and make a list of everything you have
received. Review this list weekly and try
to place the relative significance of each
piece of information in a broader context.When you become a leader, you need to quickly understand what is
expected from you and from your team. Your employer will provide
you with guidance, but don’t assume that you’ll get the complete
picture. A lot of the groundwork is going to be up to you.Ask your employer
where you fit into their
organizational plansUS_098-099_Preparing_to_lead.indd 98 30/05/16 3:01 pm