Succeed As A New Leader
“... So can I just be honest with you, please? I'm not going to have a lot for you to do as the truth. And you being assigned to me is kind of just for me to set an example for the rest of the team. If you ask me. I think that you'd be much better off working in creative or marketing.”
What do you do when you have less than three minutes for an introduction with your new boss for the first time who just have told you that you were really not needed or wanted. That was a quote from a scene in 2015 American comedy drama film “The Intern” by Nancy Meyers, a film starring Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker, a “Senior Intern” who had retired after forty years as VP for a phone book printing company, and Anne Hathaway as Jules Owston, the CEO of a fast growing e-commerce fashion startup about a fit.
As an “intern”, Ben obviously does not have much authority, yet it does not mean he can not be an effective leader. In fact, there are some very interesting and comic scenes how Ben slowly wins over co-workers with his thoughtful leadership, gains Jules respect and appreciation, and eventually become a trusted friend, advisor and mentor for Jules.
If you have just become a new leader, it is likely that you are excited about the opportunity. Yet excitement may or may not always be the emotion for everyone around you. On the one hand, you are somewhat anxious about all the things you have to learn very quickly. On the other hand, you are eager to show the world about your skills and expertise. At the same time, the people you are going to be working with all likely have some pre-conceived notions of who you are and what you should be doing in your new role.
In their book: “You are in charge - now what“, Thomas Neff and James Citrin described that many seeds of destructions for new leaders are sown in the first hundred days. Although the book was more geared for senior executives, the advices are relevant to everyone who just become a new leader. No matter what your profession is and what level you are at, you can expect to experience many career or job transitions, either between companies or within companies. During the sixteen years of my career with ExxonMobil, I had twelve different managers and eight different jobs, often with teams reporting to me. Every job is different and every manager has different expectations. The trend of frequent job change is likely going to be continue.
Leadership principles apply every where but there are some unique challenges for new leaders in terms establishment of credibility and alignment of expectations. As a new leader, you often need to “jump off a cliff and building your wings on the way down“. However, the biggest myth about leadership is that they all know the answers. In reality, new leaders need to think big and think big is the only way to know your potential. At the same time, you have to act humble and human.
Establish Trust Through Alignment of Expectations
In the movie “The Intern”, while Ben’s expectation is to have the excitement “to have a place to go, feel needed and even challenged”, Jules was simply nudged to fulfill a company obligation, a community outreach program for “senior intern”. She had no expectation for any meaningful contribution for the role. Since Jules is under pressure to cope with the workload having grown from a startup founded in her kitchen to a 220 employee Juggernaut, she did not want the person to take up her precious time.
At the end of the somewhat awkward two minutes introduction, Ben made sure she understood Jule’s expectation for the rule of engagement when Jule clearly did not want to give him any real work by saying:
“I will email you when I have something for you to do.”
“Or I can just stop by a few times a day check in.” Ben politely tested with her..
“I will email you.“ Jules reply sternly.
At the end of the conversation, Ben restated what Jules said “I will wait to hear from you ... I look forward to it”
It is a minor exchange, but illustrates an important point to ensure alignment of expectation. Any time when you are in a new role, there are opportunities for misaligned expectations.
One should appreciate that different organizations have different ways of doing things and different people have very different expectations of the best way of engagement. I have had managers who sent emails 2 o'clock in the morning and expected replies first thing in the morning. I also had boss who much preferred to knock on my office doors rather than emails. Some expect regular updates while others would completely let you run on your own.
More importantly, it is very important to proactively schedule time with your new manager for a calibration about your job expectation. Do not assume what's on the job description is really your job and do not assume what you were told before your got the role is still the same. Very often, managers may not even know what the job really is and you have to figure out or define what your job which would be a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your leadership if managed appropriately.
Establish Credibility Based on Building Trust and Expertise
There was another scene in the movie when Ben was driving Jules to the company warehouse. When Jules was questioning the route he was going to take on the way to the company warehouse.
“No, no. make a right. 9th to Hamilton to the Expressway.“ Jules said.
“I think we should take 4th to Flatbush. Much faster.” Replied Ben.
“It won't be”. Jules was somewhat annoyed.
“By 12 minutes. At least” Ben said.
Ben did not tell Jules that she was wrong. Instead, he asked Jules again.
“Can I try?”
When they arrived at the Warehouse. Jules realized that Ben was right and offered an apology to Ben.
When you are in a new position, it is important to recognize that you have to be open minded and willing to listen. You do not know what you do not know. Experience can be an asset but can also be a liability if you are not careful. At the same time, Avoid confrontation until you have earned the right to do so. You earn this through being authentic, honest, competent and transparent consistently.
Inspire People by Knowing What Motivate Them
As a new comer who stands out easily in the company, Ben in the movie would spend time to get to know the people by providing helping hands when needed, but also making effort to understand their underlying issues and concerns in order to better .connect with them as individuals . In fact, he was almost “fired” because Jules thought he was “too observant”.
Many new leaders don’t understand what truly motivates their team and its members. They often assume that what motivated others would be the same as what motivate themselves. Another misconception is that many naturally assume ‘money’ be the key motivating factor, it’s rarely the case. Although monetary reward is important, it’s unlikely that it will be the only thing that they will find motivating.
For example, some people may be seeking a greater work/life balance and would be motivated by flexible working arrangements. Others will be motivated by factors such as achievement and extra responsibility. Some might love the opportunity for travel while others might be motivated by alignment of company purpose with societal issues. The key is to find out what motivates each person on the team and work to provide it.
In the fast pace world we are in, we tend to focus on efficient ways of communication by emails, texting, instant messages. The reality is none of those tools contain any messages about the underlining emotions. Neither do they have any body languages.
When it comes to connecting with people, there is no replacement for face to face time when you can look into their eyes directly.
Finding A Mentor - Don’t Go It Alone
Jules is under pressure to give up her post as CEO to someone outside the company as her investors feel she is unable to cope with the workload. Jules is willing to consider the proposal in this scene.
Ben greatly encourages Jules to think about how much this will change her authority and how her creativity may be hindered. Morely importantly, he reminds her of her passion for her company that cannot be replicated.
“You remember the day I drove you to the warehouse? ... Okay, well I stood in the back and I watched you show the workers how to fold and box the clothes. I knew that that was why ATF was a success. No one else is ever going to have that kind of commitment to your company jewels. To me, it's pretty simple. About the Fit needs you and if you don't mind me saying you need it. Someone may come in with more experience than you but they're never going to know what you know I guess he came over here because you want to hear some of this.”
“It is moment like this when you need someone you know you can count on”. Jules acknowledged.
Mentors and coaches are invaluable to leadership development. To have a mentor who can step back and look at things from a different perspective would help you reframe the question and make better decision.
If you are in a new environment, new organization or new field, mentor can come in very different ways if you are willing to reach out.
While waiting for the introduction meeting with Jules, Ben took the opportunity to ask her assistant, Becky, for advice.
“Any tips before we go in?” Ben asked.
“Just talk fast. She hates slow talkers. ... Don't dawdle in any way. Just keep it moving and don't forget to blink. Blink. Yeah, she hates when people don't blink. It weirds her out....There you go. Go, go. Go.”
Sure enough, you would notice that Ben blinked a few times in the movie.
Help Yourself by Helping Others to Succeed
“I have a business degree but I never seem to do anything right around here. ... I bust my ass for her 14 hours a day and she never notices.” Becky, the 24 year old Wharton grad as the assistant for Jules, is overwhelmed by the constant demand and frustrated by the fact Jules was not recognizing the amount of work she does.
Becky feel not only surprised but also slighted when she was told that the seventy year old intern Ben was going to help her.
Ben quickly came up some business insights about the customer spending patterns, but more importantly, she made sure to let Jules know Becky’s contribution. He did not stop there. He reminded Jules about Becky’s qualification and also nudged Jules to commit to personally acknowledge Becky’s work load.
New leaders often got to their positions because they have great expertise. However, the talents that make a person successful in a previous individual contributor role are rarely the same ones that will make them excel as leaders. Many new leaders are ambitious and tend to adopt a 'commander'-like mindset in which they micromanage, telling direct reports exactly what to do and when to do it. In contrast, the humble leader are more driven to learn and improve in new environment. Humility doesn’t weaken leaders’ authority. It gives them more flexibility in how they use their power.
In summary, leadership is a choice. Leaders take action, empower and inspire the people around them. Leaders make the people around them better. The best way to succeed as a leader is to help others succeed.
Would you consider Ben a leader?
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