Tips how to start
(Some years ago) we asked about 15 other new leaders how they approach taking on a leadership role in a new setting. We summarized their responses in the book. Here, you can find all their tips presented in full, one after the other.
A. Preparation
Good preparation is half the battle. That means reading up, having conversations, and making a solid plan. You can even take courses if needed.
Reading up
– Carefully read about what the directorate is working on and familiarize yourself with its terminology. That’s harder than it seems—information often doesn’t stick as well as you think.
– Check whether any assessments or evaluations have been conducted on the directorate. Invite someone who carried out such an assessment to lunch and ask what wasn’t included in the report.
– Try to get up to speed quickly on the major issues. Learn the directorate’s language.
– Ask for a list of documents: what should you read first?
Preliminary conversations
– Visit other people and ask how they view the directorate and the current manager. Public opinion about the directorate often tells you a lot. Also ask about atmosphere and culture, the main issues, whether the environment is changing, how the internal organization is functioning, and where its strengths and weaknesses lie.
– Try to talk to colleagues who have worked there before or who still do, but in another department. That will give you an initial sense of things during your preparation.
– Meet with your predecessor beforehand and go through all the staff together, including their “user manuals.”
– In preparing for a new role, talk with former staff, the people themselves (after you start), and the surrounding departments (finance, HR). Go over the calendar with the secretary, schedule introductory meetings, and prepare well for those conversations.
– Make use of your predecessor—but be careful. If you align too closely or let yourself be introduced by one specific person, people will quickly associate you with them. So do this mainly in settings where that person commands respect. Ask explicitly: where would it be most helpful for you to introduce me?
– Before you start, talk with people at the end of the workday. You can ask what they’ve been working on to get a sense of the daily tasks and content.
Make a plan or environmental analysis
– Create an environmental analysis before you begin. You can do this based on documents you read and the preliminary conversations you have. Deliberately leave some parts blank to fill in later.
– Try to find out what the general management wants to achieve with the directorate or department. That should help shape your onboarding plan. There’s always some kind of assignment—explicit or implicit—behind it. Every unit is in a particular stage of development.
– For new projects, observe for a few weeks first. Then make a plan with phases, budget, resources, and structure. You’ll still need to make some estimates, such as staffing needs—often more intuition than measurable data. Check whether deadlines are realistic; if not, go back to the client.
Set up a program in advance
– Arrange an onboarding program for the first weeks, drafted in advance. Your future secretary can help prepare it. Coordinate with the director.
– Ask beforehand to have your schedule filled with introductory meetings.
– Overpreparing isn’t good either. If you don’t know something, you’ll be forced to listen and delegate.
Courses
Think about which preparatory courses could best help you perform your duties or appear credible as a discussion partner. This could be a substantive course or one on change management, or even a short crash course lasting one or two days.
B. The First Weeks
The first weeks are often tough. Expect to work a bit harder yourself at the beginning. Common questions include: what should you do first, and how do you structure your schedule? Also, what risks can you take, what agreements should you make, and how should you behave? Below are some useful tips.
What should you do?
– Don’t tackle every problem at once, but some issues can’t wait. Choosing what to address immediately and what to postpone is crucial.
– Ideally, you enter an ongoing process where no one urgently needs your input—take that time to reflect on your role and added value based on all your conversations.
– Sometimes it’s better to pause, name your intentions, and announce what you plan to focus on. Many solutions already exist; involve others in solving problems.
– Try to uncover the “skeletons in the closet.” Once you’re inside, you’ll usually spot them quickly. Beforehand, people rarely volunteer that kind of information.
– In general, your relationship to three things matters: content, people (including work culture), and resources. You can prepare for the first two, but you’ll only sense the culture after a few weeks on the job.
– At first, you’ll be caught up in day-to-day business and handle a lot. Over time, you’ll naturally become more selective, delegate more, and steer strategically.
– Identify which influence channels you can strengthen and develop. Include that in your environmental analysis. Use conversations to complete the picture and locate your department’s blind spots.
– Get briefed by the head of operations about internal procedures—these differ even within ministries. The unwritten rules are the most interesting.
– Talk with fellow department heads.
– Talk with everyone and, in initial conversations, find out what their tasks are and how those can be made SMART (specific, measurable, etc.). When has someone done a good job?
– Try to meet as many people as possible. Don’t overthink it—just listen and absorb. You don’t need to form opinions yet. As a department head, you’ll also have access to higher levels in the organization—schedule meetings with them too.
How to set your agenda
– During onboarding, balance internal and external time. The biggest pitfall is being swept up by outside contacts.
– If there are many external partners, don’t meet each one individually. Cluster them where possible.
– An experienced secretary usually knows who you should and shouldn’t meet too often.
– Hold regular meetings with all staff (prepare them for it). Frequency may vary—weekly for coordinators, biweekly for policy staff, and every six weeks for support staff. Of course, informal contact should remain possible in between.
Goals and agreements
– Make immediate agreements with everyone about mutual expectations, including the director. Clarity and firm arrangements are essential for middle managers.
– Find out what’s expected of you—and keep doing so. When are people satisfied? What should you achieve? The clearer the goals and requirements, the more you must ensure proper conditions (like secretarial support).
– Set clear boundaries early (“I want everyone in on Tuesdays”) and don’t be afraid of not being liked. It’s often better to start “strict” and loosen up later.
– Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Be cautious about commitments made with your predecessor—check them with your director. Don’t try to become popular by making promises.
– Meet with the person who hired you. Why did they want you for this project? Explain how you intend to tackle the job and how much time you have.
– If you don’t have enough staff to get the job done, raise the issue quickly. Pulling people from everywhere isn’t sustainable and often means doing more yourself.
– After a few weeks or months, organize a meeting to test your observations and vision. Make sure it’s safe for people to disagree.
– After a month, give feedback to your team in a PowerPoint presentation on what you’ve observed.
C. Your Own Behavior at the Start
– Prepare mentally for your first day. The impression you make in those first days sets the tone. People will observe you closely.
– Remember that others feel uncertain at first, especially since you influence their daily work and job satisfaction.
– Don’t talk about “I and my team” but about “we” or “our team.” Have confidence in yourself. Don’t try too hard to make an impression.
– Don’t act as if you’re going to fix everything and that things were a mess before. Avoid immediately seeking new methods. That leads to resistance and frustration—people may respond with, “Fine, then you do it yourself.”
– Don’t try to outsmart the experts. You bring different skills.
– Be curious at first. Ask many questions. Show genuine interest and try not to sound overly critical; people may otherwise think you disagree.
– Attend a team meeting first as an observer. Ask someone else to make the agenda. Gradually take a more active role.
– Don’t manage people based solely on your personality or opinions. Think ahead about what you want from meetings and how you can guide discussions.
– Show genuine interest in people, but don’t fall into the trap of just wanting to be liked. People will test you—it’s like teaching a new class; the first two weeks set the tone.
– Hold personnel talks in a meeting room—it can be slightly formal. Staff will also create a new kind of distance.
– Be cautious about showing too much authority. Some people are sensitive to that—they’ll accept the distance but don’t want you to tower over them.
– Don’t define problems and take action too quickly. Observe for a while and see what emerges from others before switching to action mode.
– Be direct with people but don’t talk about someone with others. Be honest, especially early on. Lead by example—show calmness and trust.
D. Risk Management
– In the first weeks, you’ll sometimes have to make calculated guesses about what to prioritize. Don’t take too many risks. Be especially cautious with ministers or political bodies (Parliament, City Council, or Provincial Council) and quickly familiarize yourself with sensitive issues.
– Coordinate openly with your own superiors about what they already handle well and what you can leave alone for now.
– Get a sense of your staff: who writes good letters, uses the right tone, and meets deadlines?
– At a ministry, it’s relatively safe up to the director level—there are so many checks and balances that you’re usually covered.
– Beware of becoming too constrained by systems and people, and of playing it too safe. Also look for unconventional solutions. Encourage paradigm shifts.
E. Projects
Some managers only “do” projects and constantly have to lead new teams. Their experiences include:
– The difference between project and line management isn’t that big. A project is more short-term and dynamic, but team building and good results matter in both.
– Experience shows that project briefs are never completely accurate. It’s important to understand how the assignment came about—was it well thought out, or were time and capacity lacking? Does the client already have a solution in mind? Sometimes the solution comes before a clear problem definition. Often the intended solution hasn’t been tested with all stakeholders.
– Once you understand the relationships, you may discover you’re not the key driver but just one cog in a larger machine.
– Be cautious when taking over from a previous project leader. A “moving train” sounds easy, but there are often hidden problems, and your predecessor’s approach doesn’t have to be yours.
– In some projects, you only manage external people. Then influence without authority is key. You’ll need to invest more in a strong kick-off meeting to clarify shared expectations and define roles.
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