Regardless of your background and motivation, you now face a completely new and exciting task. You must adapt to a different kind of daily routine and role – something we also discuss in the podcast episode "New to Leadership."
By Anja Neiiendam, Director at CfL, October 2020 (updated September 2024).
You have just received your first leadership position and are both excited, enthusiastic, and curious about your new role. Perhaps you come from a specialist role within the same organization and were encouraged to apply for the managerial position because “someone” thought you had potential. Or perhaps you applied for a leadership position because you find it attractive and want to take on the challenge.
I artiklen finder du 10 gode råd til nye ledere, så du kommer godt fra start i dit lederjob.
There are always certain frameworks for your leadership. This includes overall frameworks such as legislation, collective agreements, and personnel policies. These set clear boundaries regarding how you must navigate employment law.
If you have any doubt about which frameworks apply, contact your HR department so that you are well prepared for the task.
In addition, there is the business mandate you received along with your leadership role. This encompasses budgets, resources, the company’s overall strategy, your strategic goals, the company’s management principles, and values. You have likely discussed these matters with your own boss; if not, you should do so.
It is also a good idea to continuously discuss with your boss during the first year how you are fulfilling your role as a leader. This helps to align expectations.
The article continues below the box, where you can, among other things, read about aligning expectations.
1. Know your managerial space
2. Align expectations
3. Know yourself and your employees
4. Plan and prioritize your time
5. Remember to delegate
6. Find the leadership balance
7. Give and ask for feedback
8. Have the difficult conversation
9. Manage conflicts
10. Seek support
You can be sure that both your boss and your employees have expectations of you as a leader. There may also be managerial colleagues with whom you work closely who have expectations regarding collaboration and your performance. Therefore, it is a good idea to quickly align expectations with everyone.
It is wise to begin by listening to everyone’s expectations before promising everything. There may be expectations that you have no influence over, do not wish to fulfill, or that conflict with one another.
Once you have a comprehensive overview, you can then communicate individually how you envision the collaboration to take place.
People are different, and therefore they must be led differently. The first step to becoming a good people manager is to gain an understanding of who you are. How would you like to be led? What do you prefer? When do you become demotivated, angry, or impatient? When do you get energized and willing to go the extra mile?
Once you have a reasonably clear understanding of yourself, the next step is to find out what your employees say. How do they want to be led? What motivates them? You shouldn’t guess – you should ask them! You will likely receive many different inputs, which is a sign that your employees are diverse, and you therefore need to lead them in different ways.
If you feel overwhelmed by all the new tasks landing on your desk (which is already full), that is completely normal – that’s how most new leaders feel. Therefore, it is also important that you take time to assess and prioritize which tasks are most important and which ones you should start with.
Also remember that it is expected that you delegate tasks – not solve them all yourself.
You will receive a lot of new tasks when you become a leader, such as recruitment, performance reviews (MUS), follow-up on KPIs/results, planning/distribution of tasks, budget planning, leadership meetings, and negotiations.
These tasks do not necessarily come crashing in from day one, but under no circumstances should they simply be piled on top of your previous tasks. You must remember to delegate tasks to your employees and focus on your leadership responsibilities.
The leadership development programme The New Manager is an investment in you—someone who wants to be prepared for and grow through the leadership challenges you face in your daily work.
This programme provides a unique foundation for those who are relatively new to leadership or have not previously completed formal leadership training. You’ll gain a solid starting point for developing yourself, your employees, and your results.
Most new leaders still have operational tasks – for example, specialist tasks that you continue to handle as a leader.
In addition, there is the leadership task itself, which consists of long-term objectives that require foresight, as well as the motivation and development of employees, the team, and perhaps even technology.
Moreover, you must lead and handle concrete tasks. As mentioned, this may include budgets, work scheduling, follow-up on KPIs, etc. It is important that you find the right balance among these three different managerial tasks. Use your boss as a sparring partner.
One of the most important leadership tools is feedback. It is through feedback that you adjust an employee’s performance and develop yourself as a leader.
Quickly create an environment where you ask for feedback from your employees and fellow managers. In this way, you signal that you are ready to adjust your leadership style and that you value their opinions.
When receiving feedback, listen carefully. What is the feedback about? Ask for concrete examples so you understand the feedback and, if needed, ask how you can do things differently next time. And remember, you don’t have to take all feedback to heart – you may sort through it.
When giving feedback, it is important that you express yourself constructively and very specifically, and that your intentions are well-meaning. Be careful not to confuse feedback with instruction or a warning that is interpreted as a wagging finger. When you give feedback, it is up to the employee to decide whether to change something.
When you observe inappropriate behavior, as a leader you have an obligation to do something about it. The sooner you address it, the better, so that the issue does not escalate. You must address it directly with the employee in question, even if it feels uncomfortable.
In most cases, the employee will adjust their behavior, and collaboration will be strengthened and results improved. In some cases, the employee may persist in their behavior, and in those cases you must assess whether there should be employment-related consequences. Seek guidance from your HR department or your boss.
Conflicts and changes go hand in hand. When you start as a new leader, it is a change for both you and your employees, which can lead to conflicts. It is necessary that you actively do what you can to resolve conflicts.
There may also be old conflicts between employees that you need to handle. You must create an environment in which collaboration is constructive and conflict-free. If conflicts become severe or reach an impasse, you should seek help and support either externally or from your HR department.
Many new leaders experience the leadership job as lonely, challenging, and full of dilemmas. Therefore, it is a good idea to find various safe spaces where you can get both support and guidance for your leadership.
A natural choice is to go to your own boss to discuss the challenges. However, it may also be advisable to seek guidance elsewhere – for example, from a role model/mentor (either inside or outside your organization) or through a leadership network of peers. The advantage of seeking external guidance is that you will receive completely impartial advice.
The new manager is an investment in you, who wants to be prepared and developed in relation to the managerial challenges you encounter in everyday life.
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