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T he reason Donald Trump says “You’re fired” on The Appren- tice often is because the leader

has not laid the critical groundwork for success by assimilating effectively with the team and the demands of the new role. Just like in the real world, this causes a leader to underperform.

We enjoy watching this type of reality show to see what people will do under pressure and to see who wins. If it were easy to assimilate into a new role, there would be a higher success rate and no reality shows. In the real world, leaders

are promoted into exciting new roles every day and the promise of success shines bright; opportunity knocks and the door opens—then reality hits.

Startlingly, 40 percent of newly pro- moted leaders fail in new roles within 18 months. This takes a tremendous toll on human talent as well as business results. Wouldn’t it be great to have a strategic guide to help newly promoted leaders to succeed that could be adopted quickly and successfully by training and devel- opment and HR professionals?

After 16 years of coaching leaders ranging from directors to executives, we created a proactive and structured approach to help them assimilate and contribute faster—before they find themselves under water. What follows are what we call the seven enemies, along with suggested strategies to conquer them.

Enemy 1: Submitting to the enemy within “So, what I really need to do is man- age myself,” said a recent client who was learning to manage the new leader stress behaviors so commonly observed in organizations. They include knowing it all, isolating oneself, being too aggres- sive, being out for oneself, repeating old habits, and neglecting well-being.

To conquer the enemy within, leaders need to proactively manage stress behaviors to remove barriers

Seven Enemies of Success for Newly Promoted Leaders

By Diane egBers anD Karen schencK

The transition to a new leadership role can be fraught with political and personal obstacles. adopting these strategies can help facilitate the process.

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September 2013 | T+D 73

to connect with others and build vi- tal relationships that are essential in a new role.

Enemy 2: Submitting to the chaos “I feel like all I do is put out fires and respond to the crisis of the day.” Without considering the conse- quences, a leader may find that it is easier to submit to the daily pressures rather than to step back and prioritize the learning needed to truly under- stand key elements of the role well enough to fully contribute.

To manage the chaos, a leader benefits most by taking a comprehen- sive approach to assess and prioritize learning to strategically lead in a new role. Aspects for careful consideration and prioritization include understand- ing the organization, culture, business, manager expectations, key stakehold- ers, peers, and team.

Enemy 3: Misreading culture cues This enemy is the one that is most likely to cause failure. Why? Because people will reject a leader who doesn’t adapt successfully to fit in, which causes a leader to disconnect in most relationships.

To master the culture cues it is best to understand the culture first, then seek to lead desired change—with others providing input and getting on- board along the way.

Enemy 4: Misfiring with your manager “My manager and I are just not in sync.” This may sound familiar. Who hasn’t experienced this at some point in their career? Often, it is because you expected your manager to spend time with you and make things clear for you, not realizing that a passive role as a new leader often leaves to chance clear expectations and devel- oping a productive relationship.

To calibrate with your manager requires a leader to assert influence to be successful. Insist on regular meetings and adapt to the manager’s communication preferences. Seek clarity of expectations and negoti- ate time to learn and understand the business.

Enemy 5: Overlooking stakeholders and peers “I don’t have time to sit down with all of my peers and key stakeholders now.” Overlooking peers and key stake- holders often happens due to being immersed in the crisis of the day or being pressured by the strategic im- peratives given upon hire by a manager.

Leaders think these relationships can wait, not recognizing that peers and key stakeholders have vital infor- mation about the leader’s manager, customers, the culture, and the or- ganization. When connected, these individuals will share vital information.

To connect with stakeholders and peers is to allow these individuals not only to contribute to the leader’s learning, but also to advocate for the leader’s success.

Enemy 6: Alienating your team “It’s tough to dedicate time to my team when there are deadlines to meet.” A leader who doesn’t make the time risks alienating and disengaging team members and potential turnover of top talent.

To engage your team it is essential that team members have a connec- tion with their leader and believe their best interests are being served. If this happens, team members will follow the leader.

Enemy 7: Sub-optimizing your vision and plan “Why do I need a separate vision when the corporate vision and strategic plan

are already defined?” Sub-optimizing with a poorly articulated vision and plan for the leader’s area of responsi- bility causes the team to question the direction, leading to confusion and reduced performance in the business. Ultimately, the team becomes disen- gaged without an inspiring picture of the future.

To inspire with a vision and plan, the leader must first take the time to conquer the first six enemies, at which point she is ready to consider and clarify the future to be created. With the vision and plan, the leader will identify the high-impact priori- ties that ensure success and will be seen as strategic rather than opera- tional. If the vision is compelling and well-articulated, and incorporates input from those noted above, the leader can fully engage the team to achieve at high levels.

Landing that sought-after promo- tion is a time for celebration to be sure, but what happens after that is what makes or breaks those wonder- ful opportunities. By understanding and conquering the seven enemies of success, a leader has every chance to succeed.

Diane Egbers is president of Leadership excelleration (Lei) and co-author of The Ascending Leader: Conquer the Seven Enemies of Success; [email protected].

Karen Schenck is a partner at Lei consulting and co-author of The Ascending Leader: Conquer the Seven Enemies of Success; [email protected].

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