Monday, June 2, 2008

Assuming a New Leadership Role

Over the past 30 years, I have stepped into a number of new leadership roles. Experience has taught me that whether starting a team/project from scratch or taking over an existing team or operation, the primary challenge will not be the accomplishing the task at hand, but it will be equipping the people on the team to maximize their talent.

Ten Lessons I Have Learned:

1. Don’t criticize the previous leader
2. Don’t try to change anything right away
3. Ask more questions than you give answers
4. Give each person a clean slate to prove their worth (no matter what you’ve been told about them)
5. Value the experience of those you lead
6. Provide clear feedback as early and as often as possible
7. Be a student of the people you lead
8. Don’t let your title define your worth to the team
9. Serve more than you speak
10. Realize that leadership is a gift not an entitlement

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