You Got The Job - Start Strong!

Congratulations! You earned the new role. Whether you are a seasoned executive or new to leadership, there are a few key things to keep in mind when starting with a new company. There are two popular ideas that had a huge impact on my leadership:

1. "Your team is a direct reflection of you." This has been quoted by many different people but, the one who brought it to my attention was Brian Tanella. He is a great leader and mentor. Each person operates individually but, you will notice everyone performs at a higher level if their leader is at the top of their game.

2. In The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker says that most leaders ask, "How can I be successful?" Instead you need to ask, "How can I contribute?"

Most seasoned leaders and executives understand that when you start with a new company you need to spend the first 60-90 days:

• Learning about the company (operations, policies, etc...)

• Figuring out what the company/team can start, stop, and continue doing to achieve their objectives in the most effective way

• Get to know the people and remember what you learn

• Focus on one to two things to work on at a time

This will be different depending on the role and company. The main thing to remember is, do not go into a new role pretending you know everything and forcing your ideas onto people. As Patrick Lencioni says, "Be the ideal team player by staying hungry, humble, and smart."