Transitioning into a new leadership role? Here's the leader you want to become.
I spend a lot of time working with people who've just stepped into a new leadership role.
It's an exciting moment, a useful time to pause and think about the kind of leader you want to be.
How close do you need to be to the detail? When do you step in, and when do you step back?
New leaders working out who they want to become. And coachees describing what it feels like working for two very different, equally frustrating types of leaders.
The Drainer. Always close to the detail. Quick to correct, quick to take over. Often unintentionally draining ownership and energy from the room.
The Comfortable Coaster. Gives people plenty of space but can become disconnected from what's actually happening. Appears when answers are needed upwards, or when something's gone wrong.
None of us sit permanently at either end. We move along this spectrum, depending on our personality, experience and what's happening around us.
Connected -that's the word that comes up most when I ask coachees to reflect on the best leaders they've worked for. Connected to the bigger picture, but just as attuned to their people: what customers were really saying, what motivated their team.
As someone said to me recently, to be respected as a leader, you need to have "eaten salt with your team", an idea as old as Cicero on friendship, and rooted in an even older custom of sharing bread and salt to seal trust
You don't need to be in every client or internal meeting -just close enough to build trust, understand the reality on the ground, and support your team when it matters.
For me, the best leaders are agile. They can step back and work "on" the business, but also step in and work "in" the business when the situation calls for it.
I saw this recently coaching a GM at one of the largest hospitality resorts, who rolled up his sleeves to serve customers when the restaurant was unexpectedly short-staffed.
It wasn't his day job, but it showed his team he'd step in when it mattered, then step back out to lead the bigger picture.
That connection matters even more when teams work virtually. One simple tool I've used in nearly every role: a weekly Progress, Plans and Problems email
Big rocks only – five minutes to write, five to read - a powerful way to stay connected without getting pulled into every detail, while still recognising the wins.
So, if you're stepping into a new leadership role, ask yourself:
◆ Where do I naturally sit on the spectrum?
◆ Where might I overplay my strengths under pressure?
◆ Am I close enough to the work to really know what's happening?
And perhaps most importantly:
Who do I need to eat a bit more salt with?
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