We experience transition, a naturally occurring phenomenon in relationships of all kinds, with family and friends and throughout our working lives with colleagues and organisations.  Taking a seat at the top table ranks highly amongst these and marks a journey of commitment, ambition and resilience.  Heartfelt congratulations!

Your appointment may also bring a whole host of thoughts and feelings as the scope, scale and focus of your role changes presenting the ideal opportunity for a leadership reset.

  • Endings and beginnings – be yours an internal or external promotion, leaving and arriving well sets the scene for how you psychologically step into your new role. Endings signal a transition and yet they largely remain overlooked by organisations. Some exits (endings) are well planned and managed, however those that are not can bring surprise and shock, particularly if the organisation you are joining has been subject to recent upheaval or change.  In this case, it is important to acknowledge and respect what has gone before which may or may not include a period of handover and you may still need to navigate with care and sensitivity as you settle in.

There may also be some firsts, like being the first female appointment or the first time your function has been represented at this level bringing the added kudos of stepping into a newly created role and building a team or function from scratch.  In any event, your first few weeks will be spent arriving.   Take a moment to consider what that means to you?   Organisations are social structures as well as hierarchies.  Getting a sense of how things work and how you would like to be seen whilst you scope out your body of work go hand in hand.  Take time to set out your stall.

  • Start as you mean to go on – if you are lucky enough to have a VA or PA ask them to build in thinking time. A few minutes prep ahead of each appointment will mean you’re more present and more able to focus on the topic in hand. Do the same at the end to synthesize your thoughts. Clients that adopt this discipline find decision making becomes easier as they reduce the fogging effect of back-to-back meetings.  This is particularly important at the start when learning is at its steepest; it will also help your presence and impact in the boardroom. 
  • Boardroom dynamics – the landscape is changing as Millennials break into corporate boardrooms. This may be a consideration if you’re a minority (and much younger) voice in an established group.  If this is you, dig deep, stand in your truth and chart a path you’d love others to follow and ‘offer’ (it’s less confrontative) remarks, ideas or suggestions that keeps your colleagues in important conversations for longer.  A homogenous group is more likely to experience ‘group think’ and miss things.  Leadership is quite often a function of opinion, so offer yours, the group will be better for it and remember that disruption can also be subtle, curious and respectful.
  • Developing a strategic mindset – working on the business requires a leap of faith. C-suite leaders scale their businesses through others. This means giving people autonomy and trusting them to get on with running the day-to-day aspects. This is easier said than done for those with a high need for control. However, if your direct reports have your back and your encouragement, they will feel safe enough to get on with it, giving you the freedom to step into the strategic part of your role.  Take it steady.  Over time you will develop a better understanding of the broader business landscape, market trends and your competitive positioning.
  • Stepping out of your lane –getting to know your CEO, boardroom colleagues and taking an interest in their parts of the business will help you become a more balanced and confident leader. Work with them to take on high-visibility projects and promote the power of collectivism and leading at scale with your wider system of clients, stakeholders, and partnership organisations.
  • Create a personal board – cultivate meaningful relationships with a small independent group of trusted industry leaders, mentors and coaches that will listen, guide and offer advice when you need it. They may also be folk you’ve bumped into along the way, or just brilliant people that embody your values.
  • Governance – your CEO and other select members of C-Suite will take a seat on the main board if you have one. Ask for their guidance about investor relations and gaining exposure. Cultivate an interest in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives.  B Corp status may also be worth looking into if your business is interested in moving from a shareholder primacy model to a stakeholder engagement one which balances profit with purpose and considers the impact of its decisions on people and planet as well as the bottom line. 
  • Professional Development – consider exec education programmes to hone and broaden your skills set. Business schools like Henley, Ashridge, Said, Judge, Cranfield, LBS (and others) all offer a range of short courses and post graduate study in leadership, strategy, finance and coaching. Tune into your LI network, seek out industry events, podcasts and books that inspire.  In time you may wish you position yourself as a thought leader through publications, speaking engagements and panel discussions.
  • Health and Wellbeing – is a hot topic these days and rightly so. If there’s one lifestyle change worth working on it is sleep. We don’t get nearly enough, and yet good sleep enhances memory, learning, problem-solving and concentration. It also lowers the risk of anxiety, depression and burnout and helps to regulate mood and reduce stress. Psychological flourishing is precious and something you deserve, so find ways to preserve yours and it’ll pay you back tenfold.