Leadership Test: Will You Be Ready When the Challenge Comes?
Like an airplane ascending through the clouds in the early stages of a flight, we can expect some rough air when we first step into a new leadership role. Our teammates are trying to see if we have what it takes to lead them well. Pass the test and we earn their trust. Fail it, and it’s going to be a long turbulent flight ahead. Here’s what those leadership tests might look like, and some thoughts on how best to respond.
Notes and Resources:
- Prefer to read? Here’s the full post: Leadership Test: Will You Be Ready When the Challenge Comes?
- Check out “In the Heart of the Sea” by Nathaniel Philbrick on Amazon. Note – the whaling disaster this book describes served as the inspiration for Moby Dick
- Leading former peers may be one of the hardest leadership challenges there is; here’s a link to 27 Tips, Tactics, and Techniques to make it a little easier.
- Ignoring something uncomfortable can lead to disaster; read the post Leading With a Blind Eye: Why You Can’t Ignore the Thing You Didn’t Want to See for more about this leadership hazard.
Quotable:
“Leaders must learn to be uncomfortable.” - Wally Bock, Three Star Leadership
“There is no faster way to lose the trust of our teammates than trying to hold them accountable to standards that we ourselves ignore.” - Ken Downer
“If the passive aggressive person senses that she has gotten under your skin, the balance of power is already shifted in her favor.” – Signe Whitson
“If we fail to set the ethical tone for our teams, someone else will.” - Anon
Related posts:
Leading Your Friends: 9 Ways to Lead Your Former Peers
Mind the Gap: 9 Ways to Close the Trust Gap on Your Team
Cornerstone of Leadership: What’s Yours?
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Thanks for listening, and Lead On!
