Leaders could benefit from taking more time to explore how their leadership changes under pressure, especially when transitioning into a new role or company. Changing companies and stepping into a new leadership role can be challenging and a significant psychological transition for leaders.
A leader’s ability to mobilise their new team during a transition is crucial; it can make or break success in a new role. Poor interpersonal skills are cited as one of the main reasons leaders fail to meet the performance expectations of a new role. And it is a leader’s interpersonal skills that can suffer most when under pressure.
Even the most skilled leaders find their interpersonal abilities challenged in times like these. Assisting a leader transitioning into a new position presents a chance to reflect on their blindspots and create proactive approaches for handling stress and uncertainty.
Learn to self-regulate unhelpful emotions and behaviour
The ability to self-regulate is tested when a new leader's behaviour is scrutinised by their new team. Leaders must learn to self-regulate unhelpful emotions and behaviour by identifying stories that emerge when they face challenges that undermine their performance. Understanding these narratives, where they come from, and their potential consequences is essential for self-regulation.
Develop new leadership responses under pressure
Help leaders explore their default leadership approach when triggered or under pressure. Do they default to fight, flight, freeze, or tend? In times of transition, support leaders in developing situational awareness of their default and triggers. To navigate the challenges ahead, help them create new pathways with the flexibility to access more options in responding to challenging leadership situations.
Build awareness of what behaviours will break trust
Trust is a vital ingredient for success in a new role. One way to earn people’s trust is to be consistent in 'what you say and do'. However, trust is easily broken and hard to rebuild. For example, leaders may have declared they believe in empowering others when starting a new role. However, it is vital to maintain this commitment when under pressure and not revert to command and control.
Defend the safety needed for unfiltered feedback
As a new leader, you must work extra hard to create an environment where people feel comfortable providing unfiltered feedback instead of being concerned about what they say in front of their new boss. Leaders must bring vulnerability by clarifying that they don’t have all the answers and intend to learn. However, under pressure, a leader’s ego can emerge with a desire to be right. Being the person with all the answers can inhibit getting the feedback a leader needs from their new team.
Lean in and learn from change resistance
Starting a new role can also activate the ego by dismissing past achievements with a vision for change. However, this may alienate team members who are committed to previous ways and milestones, which are part of the team's culture. Even with the pressure to make change, leaders should seek to collaborate with their new teams to create a shared vision that builds on past successes while recognising opportunities for change. This process involves learning from team members' resistance to change, benefiting from their experience and perspectives.
When planning a leadership transition, help your future leaders reflect on their approach under pressure. It is highly likely they will face challenges on the journey of change. To be successful, transitioning leaders should also support their new team as they navigate their psychological transition to embrace a new leader. A more intentional leader brings greater self-awareness of their leadership blind spots, particularly under pressure, helping to set them up for success.