The Hindu Business Line : New leader at the helm

A new boss can set off a chain reaction! People start jockeying for positions; they compete to be first movers in capturing the boss’ mind space and attention. Comfort zones evaporate.

The new leader is most vulnerable in the first one month. Syrupy welcomes and sycophancy are at their zenith. The truth is, of course, a casualty.

V. K. Madhav Mohan

When a new leader takes the helm, be prepared for change! Policies, processes, prices, promotion and products are all likely to be very different under a new dispensation. The new leader brings her own style, mindset and eccentricities into an organisation. Sometimes the changes can be even more substantive; a fundamental change in direction and strategy may occur; culture can be recast and organograms redrawn.

A new boss can set off a chain reaction! People start jockeying for positions; they compete to be first movers in capturing the boss’ mind space and attention.

Comfort zones evaporate. New alliances form and old ones dissipate. A wave of uncertainty engulfs the tranquil sanctuaries of underperformance. An altogether unsettled feeling envelops the organisation. Results and targets suddenly fall off the radar since everybody is too busy trying to cope with new realities and perceptions.

Cut through the clutter

The new leader is most vulnerable in the first one month! This is when the entire organisation is waiting, watching and wanting to create a favourable impression. So syrupy welcomes and sycophancy are at their zenith.

The truth is, of course, a casualty. Gaps between words and meanings, fact and fiction have to be carefully spotted by the leader. Personal equations have to be understood and matched with organisational priorities. The leader needs to appreciate where the organisation now stands and where it has to go.

One of the first things the new boss will have to deal with is “how bad the old boss was”. She’ll get stories and complaints galore about how “this was the wrong decision” and how “that person was victimised”. Cutting through all this clutter could be the difference between success and failure. Listening, therefore, holds the key, especially during the crucial first few weeks. The new boss will need to scrupulously avoid premature implementation!

At all times she’ll have to be alert and understand that the organisation is observing her acutely to find out who she really is, what she stands for, what her competencies are and most importantly, spot her weaknesses.

To prevent assumptions and misperceptions, she’ll have to reach out and meet with as many people as she can. This will lay the foundation for strong relationships. She’ll do well to remember that relationships are as important as processes if results are to be achieved.

Create support system

Sifting through the mass of data, personalities, priorities, perceptions and expectations is naturally stressful. Long hours and a feeling of “will I ever get to the bottom of all this” tends to wear down the new leader’s motivation. To insure against this she needs to create a strong support system around her.

First on the list is a solid, dependable, super competent secretary who not only knows the people well but is also non-political. In fact, selecting such a person is the first organisational intervention she should make!

To complement the personal support system, she should select an Executive Assistant (EA) to provide invaluable decision support. The EA must have strong technical, IT, finance and analytical skills, all wrapped around initiative, maturity, tact and integrity. This seems like a tall order but today India is endowed with nearly 1,700 business schools which turn out thousands of management graduates every year. Picking the right EA from the mass of young talent is a challenging but necessary task.

An ideal EA would perhaps be an MBA/PGDM with about three years of experience.

Both the boss and the EA must understand that this is a three-year assignment after which EA must move on to a line assignment to further his career.

Tread a careful line

The new leader has to tread a very careful line. While respecting the past she shouldn’t be bound by it. Her own ideas and focus areas are what she’s been hired for. So its important for her to build a coalition of support from around the organisation. That she can do by meeting as many people as she can from all areas and geographies.

Travel, listening, documenting, data collection and analysis are all prerequisites. She has to be seen throughout the organisation because leaders who are seen are more likely to be followed even if some of their ideas are not accepted. But in all the confusion and excitement, the new leader must always remember the physician’s age-old dictum: diagnose before you prescribe!

TheLonelyCEO@gmail.com http://TheLonelyCEO.blogspot.com/

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