So you are the new leader…why should we follow you?
You have the position you always wanted, that leadership position. The person in charge! Yeah! Well done! Now what?
Let’s assume that this is your first leadership position in an organization you have been working with for a while. Similar analysis would work if you are an experienced leader, though.
What do you need to do to become the person your team will follow? What does it take? As a first time leader you were probably promoted because of your individual contributor (IC) skills. You are the best engineer, salesperson, financial analyst, etc. But, are these the skills needed to be a good leader? Expertise in the practice area is important, but there are other skills you need as a leader.
First of all, you have to be credible with your new team. They have to see you as someone they are willing to follow as you have a committed and authentic attitude and a vision of what the team can become. Think about a class or workshop you attended. Did the leader demonstrate credibility? I remember a middle manager training a number of years ago when this was not properly communicated to us by the leaders of the session. Eventually one of the participants stood up and asked directly “who are you and why should we listen to you?” Up to this point we were questioning their credibility.
