Exhibiting Adaptability In A Leadership Transition
The phrase ‘change is constant’ is a major oxymoron, yet also true. In any successful, long-lived company, there will be moments of instability and employment churn. CEOs and other team leaders retire, and new leadership can be brought in from the outside. While new leadership can be a vitalizing force, when veteran management leaves, they take their surplus of knowledge and wisdom with them. How can you adapt and thrive when change comes to your organization?
In the past few years, leadership professionals have talked about grit and resilience and how these characteristics are crucial for individuals and companies to survive in an ever-changing climate. More than that, though, we talk about adaptability, a nuanced version of grit. The outcome of resilience is survival in a time of change, while adaptability allows you to thrive.
Alexa Von Tobel, founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital, explains that “while resilience helps you weather the storm, it is adaptability that empowers you to harness its energy and steer towards unprecedented growth. It’s about thriving amidst chaos and evolving into your most formidable self.”
So, let’s talk about how you can adapt to changing leadership in your company—thriving instead of just surviving.
First, take ego out of the equation. I had a client (we will call her Heather) who had worked extremely hard to establish herself as a competent and hard-working employee, earning the respect of both her teammates and boss, who in turn gave her an abundance of freedom when managing her projects. He trusted her to handle challenging situations without much oversight.
When he retired and a new manager came in to take over, she felt like the rug had been swept out from under her. Whereas before she did not feel the need to impress or prove herself, now she had a more formal relationship with the new boss and found herself working harder than ever to achieve the respect that she had already gained from the previous manager.
Heather’s feelings were completely normal, but we worked on ways to keep her ego in check. When we focus more on what others think of us rather than what is best for a job or project, our intentions can often backfire, and we make more mistakes.
Heather had to remind herself that she already had the respect of everyone who knew her, and she should simply focus on the work that she does well and not on what the new boss thinks of her. His questions and follow-ups came from a place of curiosity and were the building blocks towards a place of trust. By taking out her ego, Heather became less defensive and allowed the questions of her new manager to open conversation and communication that paved the way to a sense of camaraderie and team mindset as time went by.
After putting your ego aside, offer assistance and guidance in the way you know how. As Heather explained her projects to the new supervisor, she was also able to gently educate him on company policy and protocols. She would tell him about what had been done previously without insisting that he do it the same way.
In fact, she discovered processes that could be improved and took advantage of the protocol conversations with her new boss to make suggestions for change. Not only would these changes help improve her department, but they also had the added benefit of adding to her value in his eyes.
A word of caution—while talking about a previous supervisor and protocols, be prepared to voice your opinion and support it with the facts that you have. However, it is completely up to the new leadership as to how they will proceed. Often, new leaders are happy to hear about previous decisions and protocols because it will help equip them with the information to make good decisions moving forward.
But remember my first word of advice if they go in a different direction from your suggestion—do not take it personally. Forget your ego and move forward the best that you can with the decision that was made. Supervisors not only take note of good suggestions but also how employees can pivot and adapt when decisions are made that are not their own.
To help guide you, write out your long-term visions to keep them clear to yourself and others. By defining your role to yourself and your goals for a five-year plan, then you are better able to keep your eyes on the prize without getting bogged down in ego, office politics, or shiny new projects/ideas.
Next, communicate your goals to your new boss. Schedule a meeting with them within the first few weeks of their start date to define your role. I can almost guarantee they will be impressed by your proactive attitude and desire to start off on the right foot. Once they understand your role and goals, they can also support you in achieving those goals—or redirect them slightly to something different. That communication can align your visions and provide you with a supporter of your goals rather than someone who gets in the way.
Lastly, stay patient. New leaders often feel quite a bit of pressure to take on a lot right away, and their focus may not be on creating top-notch relationships with their employees. Over time, they may relax a bit and are able to be more personable.
The professional relationship that you have with them may feel different from the one you had previously, but the important thing is that you are respected and can meet your goals. By keeping your pride at bay, proactively communicating your role and goals, offering insight when appropriate and staying patient, you can adapt and thrive through any leadership transition.