Establishing A New Normal in Your Leadership

Taking on a new leadership position involves a lot of uncertainty and brings with it a whole host of changes for you. Even if your new position is within your current organization there is still a lot that you have to learn about how things are done at this level.

Figuring out what normal is for you now may take some time but will be a necessary part of this journey. Here are four things you can do to help as you establish a new normal in your leadership.

Release the past

You can’t start a new chapter of your life, re-reading the last one. In order for you to establish a rhythm in this new space, letting go of the past is essential.

As you move into this new season of leadership, know that not everyone around you will be able to make that move with you. For a variety of reasons those who were once a part of your circle, may find themselves unwilling or unable to remain with you. This is usually more about them than it is about you so try to avoid feeling like you have to make them okay with this change; that is a burden you should not try to carry.

Be intentional to recognize who needs to stay and who needs to go. Pay attention to the words people are saying to you. Those who can stay will use words that speak to their full support of you. For those who are critical or questioning of you, you will want to ask yourself if that is someone you want to remain in your life.

Letting go of some of those relationships may be difficult but will be necessary for you to move forward into this new season.

Get a Strong Support System

You are going to need a strong support system around you as you learn to navigate this terrain. Some of it will feel familiar but a lot of it will feel unknown. You will need help to figure out how to move around here.

Your support system should include people from work and from your home life. If you engage in a spiritual practice I encourage you to include people from your faith community.

Remember this isn’t just about learning how to lead in this new space but also about how to simply be. If your support system is well rounded, they can help remind you that there is more to your life than just your leadership ☺.

Also, it is likely that new people will need to be added to your support system. The beautiful thing is if you are open to it, the right people will come into your life at just the right time.

Forgive yourself often

You will make lots of missteps in this new place. That is to be expected and you have to forgive yourself when it happens.

You don’t know your way around yet. You don’t know what steps to take, what places to avoid. All of that you have to learn. Give yourself permission to figure it out while making it okay that figuring it out means you will make some mistakes.

Fear can be a powerful force here. It tried to keep you from taking the leap of faith that got you here but now that you’re here, fear will do everything in its power to keep you paralyzed and not doing anything.

Remember to take the fear with you. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Make the mistakes because that means you’re trying and when you’re trying that means you’re showing up and when you show up (for yourself and for your team) then you really win. So take the risks and forgive yourself for the mistakes along the way.

Honor the journey

Try not to rush through this process of establishing a new normal. Let it take as long as it takes. I know it feels uncomfortable being the new kid on the block but you have a lot of opportunity to learn in these early days.

Racing to get to the place where it’s not all so hard could do you more harm than good. Pretending you understand how something works when you don’t will likely come back to bite you. It’s better to ask for the help you need rather than acting like you have it all together.

Ask for help! You are not expected to know everything and assuming that you should, will keep you insecure and ineffective. Let go of that expectation and reach out for help.

As much as you can, avoid wishing away this time. Be present in the process and discover the joy and benefits waiting to be found as you establish a new normal.

Here’s to your rising into your greatness!

From my heart to yours,

If you are in a new season of leadership and would like some support figuring out what normal looks like for you, let’s talk. Click here to schedule a complimentary session with me.