Suddenly in Charge: Practical Advice for Accidental Leaders
Posted on October 09, 2024 by Vanessa Francis Gray, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Recommendations for those who find themselves in leadership positions unexpectedly
Over the past few months, I have seen a trend in my career coaching practice with several clients expressing a similar challenge. These clients are finding themselves thrust into leadership roles suddenly. By way of: (1) A new job and the client did not learn about the leadership responsibilities until the first day on the job or; (2) Having to take on a leadership role in their current position due to a myriad of circumstances from staffing shortages, project needs, or fast-moving developmental opportunities. Sometimes a combination of those factors.
I call them ‘Accidental Leaders’
These Accidental Leaders find themselves in a role they did not necessarily want or do not feel prepared for at this stage in their career. And they must figure out ‘now what?!’
As a career coach, I seek to understand the clients’ new circumstances and provide a forum for the client to determine how they want to proceed in their version of ‘other duties as assigned.’ In coaching sessions, I ask questions that allow for the client to begin planning out how to manage being an accidental leader. If you find yourself in a similar situation, below are a few points to consider while on your new path.
1. Gain clarity on what leadership means in your role.
What exactly does it mean to be a leader in your specific environment? Managing a team? Managing a project team? Both? It is time to have a discussion with whomever transferred this role to you about expectations. If it means holding leadership work sessions with your team, get those calendar invites emailed out ASAP.
2. Conduct a work environmental assessment.
This may mean getting to know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, learning how the leadership role was performed prior to your arrival or locating resources available to you to support your team, department, or organization. Conducting a work environment assessment will garner additional insight on how to provide effective leadership to your team, etc.
3. Determine your leadership style.
If you have never had to think about leadership style, it is time! There are two ways to make the determination:
How do you lead in other areas of your life? Are you democratic? Transactional? Situational? Coaching-style? Laissez-faire? How you operate as a leader in other areas will give you insight into how you will lead in your new role.
Don’t want to think about one more thing? Take a leadership assessment online. A few assessment tools that I have taken are Strengths Finder, Leadership Circle and Zanga Metrics. Upon reviewing your results, decide upon what you believe would be the most effective leadership style to employ based on Steps 1 and 2 above.
4. Create an internal performance plan.
How will you know if you are succeeding? How will you know if there are areas in your leadership journey that need improvement? Are you depending on your boss to figure it out? Don’t. In some capacity, you are the boss now and leading the way for others!
With knowledge from Steps 1-3, map out goals and metrics your team, company/organization should accomplish. Beyond 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals, it is time to scenario plan for different work outcomes. Succession planning is also important, particularly if your environment changes regularly (i.e., restructurings, budget fluctuations, etc.). Developing strategies to manage the ebbs and flows of your work environment will provide a solid foundation for a rewarding leadership experience.
Thoughts on this post? Email me at vfg@vfgconsults.com
© Vanessa Francis Gray, 2024
