Over the past 3 years, in particular, we’ve heard directly from senior leaders, and from talent/people leaders about the challenges senior leaders experience when they step into a new organization.
No matter how seasoned, capable, known, confident, or extraordinary they are… they’ve all experienced, or are experiencing, some issues with their #selfworth .
Some of what has been shared with us and from behind the scenes in our network has been…
▶︎ Will my team trust or like me?
▶︎ Will my team truly buy-in and align with my vision?
▶︎ What if I can’t/don’t deliver immediate results? I don’t know what to do exactly
▶︎ How do I [or will I] fit in with my colleagues in senior leadership?
▶︎ What if my team or this organization does not believe in my vision and strategy?
▶︎ Who are the actual stakeholders making final decisions?
There’s more, yet this is what we hear most often, and here’s what is happening when a senior leader is doubting their self-worth, they …
👎🏾 Feel insecure
👎🏾 Believe they will be revealed as an imposter who was unable or incapable
👎🏾 Overwork, letting go of boundaries because they are trying to please and make everyone happy, constantly trying to create buy-in
👎🏾 Lose sight of their vision/strategy and their authenticity, maybe by not challenging their team or sharing honest feedback
👎🏾 Don’t take the necessary risks to grow or innovate, or are losing their critical thinking
👎🏾 Make decisions to look good rather than to generate great business outcomes
👎🏾 They are exhausted and most likely heading toward burnout
👎🏾 Feel hopeless as if joining the company was not the right decision, which might lead them to start their search again
👎🏾 Become resentful and even hostile, possibly sabotaging things because they feel powerless
👎🏾 Might seem ineffective or as if they don’t ‘fit-in’ with the culture
👎🏾 Their team’s culture is detrimental, due to unclear direction, lack of collaboration, or incomplete buy-in from the entire team
This list too goes on, and so as human-centric and transformational leaders, how are you transforming this experience for senior leaders who are new to your organization?
[almost every new person in your organization feels this as well, so focusing on leadership and culture can transform self-worth team-by-team and ripple out across your entire organization].
