Promoted? Step Up!

“Promotion is not an honorific for time served.”

Many people, after years of dedicated service, are promoted. Whereupon, they immediately fail in the new role. It’s not the nice new shoulder boards; it’s not the scrambled eggs on the shiny hat brim. It’s the fact that they have not gotten their head around what the new role means, requires, demands in the way of changed perspective, behavior and demeanor.

You don’t get to be the same person you’ve always been. Now you’re a new creature — a Leader, not a teammate. You have to see through the lens of the new role, and change your operating perspective. It’s a challenge because over the years, we adapted to the perspective our old role required of us — often becoming so identified with our work that we lost any distinction between our habitual style of perception and our own personal point of view.

Then the job changes. And our perspective must change with it — instantly!

A Manager must see how to keep things moving in the same direction. While a Leader must decide where we need to go now? And Next? The Executives determine what to change, when and how… And the managers need to work out how to get it done. As you move into leadership, your headspace will need the most updating and upgrading to accommodate the new demands.

The simplest way to put it is this: When the individual is promoted, the mindset, the perspective and the demeanor must move up with them.

Your team is trained to “salute” so as to remind you (and them) that you are the decision maker. Don’t minimize it, or undo it. That custom keeps the distance between you. Move into that space, and you can enjoy the private Command Space in which you can do what Leaders do — Think.

Rank hath its privileges…

Applications

For You — If you’re promoted:

• Stop, Breathe. Pat Yourself on the Back. Have some Champagne. Take a minute, take two… It’s going to get crazy soon…

• Now, get to a quiet place and ask yourself, “What’s different now? What’s required of me as a Leader, not a doer? How am I going to have to change?”

• Now, right now, ask yourself: “What’s the most important thing I intend to accomplish in this new role? Can I go right after it? OR do I need to work up to it over time?” (Depends on the “Audiences”: The Team, The Clients, The Customers, The Electorate…)

Ok, go write your Acceptance Remarks and be humble…

For Your Family — If you’re promoted:
Sit everyone down for a Town Hall meeting. Discuss the fact that your time is going to be subject to all manner of demands from work, and that this will affect the entire family. The exchange will be a better retirement package, and somewhat better perqs, income and the occasional good seats at events. To some degree, your increased prestige might rub off a little on the family. Net: It sucks to be related to a Leader and everyone needs to be warned, committed and ready for what comes next. There will be endless demands and sacrifices.

For the Office — If you’re promoted:
See “For You” above. Once you’ve regained your perspective, contact your new subordinates and have The Talk: “Hi. It’s me. Yeah. Wow. So now that I’m Big Cheese and all, some things are going to change… I’m probably going to be a little more distant than in the past, not so accessible, more reserved, not so much humor, and I’m going to rely on you to get the fact that things have changed and don’t let me fall back into buddy-dom… I still love you, and more important, I know what you’re really capable of. So I’m going to ask for your best and demand even more greatness from you! I hope you understand that this isn’t about ego, but about the job! I’m in your corner, and if you need it, you can get to me — but don’t abuse that. Cause we’re in front of everybody now.” Hardest talk you’ll ever have. But it’ll set things right from the start.

If you’re doing the promoting:
Establish a great framework and relationship from the start. Share all this with your new Executive/Leader. They’re not likely to get it anywhere else. And they won’t likely know it off the bat. Set the stage for what is about to happen. They’ll be in your debt from the beginning…

AND: Keep a careful watch during the first few months. That previous viewpoint can take days, weeks, months, years to be replaced by the new loftier leadership perspective. And if it takes too long, your shiny new Leader may just fail for lack of the larger perspective. Keep watching, and be prepared to let them retire to a smaller desk, more in keeping with their lower echelon point of view.

If you’re working for someone who’s just been promoted:
Help them get the tone right. It takes a while to hear one’s own name in a new context. Help your Leader know what’s too much authority, brass and command presence, and what’s not enough. This is a tough call, but if you can help them over the “Getting into Rank” hurdles, they’ll trust you going forward.

Rank hath its privileges, and its burdens… You’re not allowed to fail in the new role! That means you’ve got to make a study of the challenges in being promoted and rising to the occasion, both into a new office and into a new mindset… Leave that old perspective behind and Step Up!

Dessert: The West Wing
C.J. Cregg, On becoming The White House Chief of Staff
Season Six, Episode 4
Available on Netflix or other streaming services

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