5 Ways to Lead Well When You’re the New Leader

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been the new guy at plenty of organizations. I was the assistant general manager of a hotel with 130 guest rooms. I was a department manager at a hardware store. I was the general manager of a copy shop. I was a college dean. I was the president of a college campus. And, in 2017 I became the lead pastor of Journey Church.

Each of these roles brought unique challenges and steep learning curves. For most of them, it was my first time in that industry. All of them put me in a leadership position where I didn’t know anyone and, if I’m being honest, didn’t really know what I was doing.

I started some of them well. Most of them, I could have started better. As I look back on my greatest successes (and greatest failures) as the new leader, 5 things rise to the surface as “must-do’s.” Here they are:

5 Ways to Lead Well When You’re New

1. Listen.

This one is number one for a reason. It’s by far the most important. Your goal should be to listen to as many people in the organization as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to act on everything they tell you. It does mean you listen with an open mind and an open heart. A simple way to start is a short one-on-one meeting with each person on your team in your first few weeks.

2. Learn.

Do your research. Learn as much about the organization as you can. Learn its history, its traditions and its significant moments. Learn what’s been tried in the past and failed. Learn why things are done the way they’re done. Learn how the organization is seen in the community, by customers and by peers.

3. Share.

I believe that vulnerability leads to trust, so leaders need to be vulnerable with the people they lead. Share your story. Share who you are and where you came from. People want to know their leader is human too. Share your ups and downs, your failures and your successes.

4. Consider.

Before making drastic changes, consider the impact. Consider whether it’s a high enough priority to change right now. Consider WHY you want to make the change, and be honest about whether your motives are pure or a little bit selfish. In other words, think long and hard before making changes as the “new guy” or “new gal.” (More on this in 5 Reasons Change Is Hard.)

5. Serve.

If you only do 2 of these, do the first one and this one. Listening and serving are the top 2 ways to lead well when you’re new. Try to serve others every day. If someone tells you something isn’t working and you can fix it, fix it. If morale is low, find ways to raise it. Let key players know you appreciate them. Remove obstacles and help people any way you can.

Quick Answers

How long should a new leader wait before making changes? There’s no magic number, but many leaders use their first 90 days mostly to listen and learn. Fix obvious small problems right away and save the big changes until you understand the culture.

How do you earn trust as a new leader? Listen more than you talk, keep every small promise, and serve your team in visible ways.

What are some things you would add to the list? Comment below…