Prosocial – India’s Leading Hospitality Marketing Agency

leader

How to succeed when you have big shoes to fill?

Having big shoes to fill is a big opportunity, but also presents challenges. Shifting to a new position or taking business risks can feel a bit nerve-wracking.  When Tim Cook took over for Steve Jobs in 2011, Apple employees — along with shareholders and the rest of the world — doubted if he could fill his predecessor’s shoes and maintain the company’s momentum.  While you likely won’t have the entire world watching you, taking over new tasks can have a significant impact on the business — or likely, both — can be exciting and scary at the same time.  To increase your chances of success, implement the key strategies below. Do your homework before you start.You will need to get up to speed on the prerequisite knowledge. This may involve getting smart on the company’s product, a key client, an industry vertical, or functional knowledge adjacent to your area of expertise. Be yourself.Don’t try to be an expected personality or leadership style or be someone you’re not. Try to implement new ideas or take challenges within your limits. Assess the team.Given your top priorities, you’ll want to assess if you have the right team to accomplish them.  Check your mindset.Having big shoes to fill can make you question your own capabilities and whether you have what it takes to meet the standard set by others. Imposter syndrome is not uncommon, especially as you get more senior and are faced with completely new challenges.  Seek ongoing feedback and support.Create feedback loops to receive early and often what’s going well and what’s going less well, so you can make real-time adjustments, as needed. Using the strategies above, you can prove to yourself and others that the shoes you’ve been given are just your size and you are ready for any type of challenge. 

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Be in your role at the right time!

Being in a high position, you need to know when to act and how. You worked hard to become a manager and have been in your role for a while and feel stuck, stagnant. The imposter syndrome sets in and you’re not sure how to succeed in this role. Management skills aren’t Inborn, they’re learned over time so the work is never fully done. To be a great manager, you have to hone multiple skills! The first is interpersonal skills. How do you deal with people? Are you able to build relationships with teammates, peers or clients? Would they see you as trustworthy and reliable? Are you navigating conversations within and outside of your team? On a personal level, interpersonal skills allow you to empathize, celebrate and motivate those around you. The next facet of management is the strategic facet. As a leader, you will be asked to identify roadblocks, solve problems and develop strategies to improve efficiency. Developing Management Skills Developing management skills requires concentrating on few key points. Training – Seek out training programs online and reach out to your business network to refine your skills.  Mentorship – With a mentor by your side, you can discover learning how to model new behaviors and skills. Studies show that employees are more likely to be satisfied with their job when they have a mentor than those who don’t. Experience – Experience is the best teacher. Going through your own experiences is the best way to learn. While learning you can hit roadblocks and make mistakes but that will prepare you well for the future. In an ideal world, you would use the identical approach to manage your team. In reality, every individual operates differently and requires a different management style.  By seeking out guidance from others, you widen your lens and gain an opportunity to manage things differently. Improving your management skills won’t happen overnight. However, if you stay in tune with your team’s needs and maintain a willingness to learn, you’re well on your way.

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