Lots of things change as you get promoted to more senior positions. Sure… your title, your comp, maybe even your office. But these aren’t the most important things, and are certainly not the point of this blog.
Your responsibilities change: the amount of P&L you might own, the number of people in your part of the org chart, and your overall responsibility for the success of the organization. These things also change, and are important. But these are not the most important changes, nor are they the point of this blog.
What changes the most? The spotlight and scrutiny upon everything we do, say and don’t say. As we rise up the org chart that’s what changes the most. There is simply a lot more spotlight and scrutiny on our behaviors. A lot more.
I see this, in one form or another, in every coaching assignment I have. When we rise up the org chart, we are trying on the new clothing of increased responsibility, and our words and behaviors get scrutinized more. The spotlight is brighter. Everything we do gets looked at differently.
And for many, the new “clothing” that comes with advancement is intensely uncomfortable. All too often, we expect that the things that got us this advancement are things we should just keep doing… if those behaviors were enough to get me here, then I should continue on the same way. Common logic. But flawed logic.
As the spotlight and scrutiny increase, we should remain authentic to ourselves, of course. Our Latimer advice would never be that you suddenly need to become a totally different person. We would never say that. But we would also never say “don’t change a thing.”
As the spotlight and scrutiny increase, we have to balance (perhaps my favorite word) our authenticity with the demands of our new role. As our responsibilities increase, everyone around us will depend on us more. Our behaviors will get examined more closely. Our words will be scrutinized… and often so will our silence. The stakes are higher. You will need to be more thoughtful. You will need to be more prepared. You will need to be more aware of what is going on around you.
In order to give ourselves the greatest likelihood of success in the new role, we need to be very clear about the authentic part of ourselves that we want to keep intact. And we also need to take an honest look in the mirror and challenge ourselves to evolve, in many ways.
As you work towards your own advancement, keep thinking about the non-negotiable parts of your authenticity. And balance that with self awareness and honesty. How will you need to evolve?
I have been leading my organization for nearly 25 years. In the early years it was me and my dog. Today, we are fifteen people partnering with high-profile global organizations, and the serious and talented people who lead them. And my evolution continues to this day. It never stops. Along the way, I too have felt the discomfort of increased spotlight and scrutiny. But it is in those moments of discomfort where the necessary evolution becomes crystal clear. Pay attention in those moments of discomfort.
Have a great day.
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Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
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