Being ready for anything includes being ready for the revolving door of leadership in your organization. Has anyone you know recently said to you: “I have a new boss – again!” It is a refrain I am hearing over and over from my clients.
You’ve probably read about the “Great Resignation Wave” or “Turnover Tsunami” that is taking place right now all over the business marketplace. Internal change is happening at a more frequent pace than ever before.
Recent research shows that nearly 60% of employees feel their relationship with their manager has deteriorated during the pandemic. And now that businesses are reopening, people feel psychologically safe to make a move to another employer.
So, it’s no surprise that there is a high level of movement in the market—and at some point, that will likely mean there is new leadership in your future. And even though we have all probably have experienced it before, we never quite seem ready for it, do we?
Some of us have become numb to the revolving door of leadership and feel a lack of personal agency to do anything about it. Others may take some timid steps to get to know their new boss, knowing all along that we will probably have to start all over again someday soon.
And it’s even more complicated than that.
In research that we did pre-COVID with nearly 200 technology leaders, the #1 confidence killer they cited in doing their jobs was getting a new boss.
Why is that? We know our bosses play a major role in our success: from the opportunities they give us, to the active support they provide, to how they push us to get better. After all the blood, sweat and tears we put into building this very important relationship, it’s incredibly discouraging to have to start all over again as the revolving door of leadership keeps turning.
So, what can you do when the revolving door spins out new leadership, again?
You can do nothing, or delay making any moves since you likely feel you don’t have the energy to deal with yet another change and all it represents. Or you can take a defensive position; wait to see what your new boss does first, and then take your cue from them.
My recommendation is the next choice— you can take the proactive approach and make the first move. You can choose to see this change as an opportunity to share the value proposition of you and your team—and let your new boss know how you can help them be successful right out of the box.
In an environment of continuous uncertainty, with the velocity of change in your support networks increasing, you really can’t afford to do nothing and just hope that everything will be fine. YOU need to make the first move.
See this change (and the others that are sure to follow) from a possibilities perspective. Be the first person to reach out and create engagement right from the start. Be confident and assured—and know your value. Show how your team contributes to the organization and, taking the enterprise view, share your vision for how you can amplify that contribution in the future.
Keep in mind that anyone who is worth their salt is going to be jockeying for position with the new leadership. So don’t get left behind while you are in mourning for the past.
Your new boss’s success is your success. Find out how you can best help them get off to a fast start—and then take action!