Taking on a new promotion or being placed into a position of major responsibility can cause anyone to question their competence. That’s not a bad habit to get into, of course, as a healthy worry about letting people down can inspire you to do your best.
It’s also true that this feeling can suffocate you if you’re not careful. Impostor syndrome is tough for everyone, and you don’t have to do a poor job to experience it. Moreover, it’s quite clear to almost everyone with eyes that people often fail upwards – who hasn’t worked under a manager who seems severely incompetent? Some might say certain political figures could be accused of the same insult.
Don’t worry, as long as you care and are willing to be diligent, you’re unlikely to fall into that kind of belligerent unearned self-confidence that remains a characteristic of such people. But one question may still be on your mind – how much am I supposed to know?
It seems silly to ask that at first, but if you’re leading multiple departments and are responsible for other people, perhaps technical professionals, you may wonder if you’re supposed to be the authority on everything. But don’t worry, you’re not expected to answer every question.
Here’s how to get over that and focus on the correct parameters as a leader:
Understand Your Role Responsibilities
Before you can manage anyone else, you need to know exactly what your role is and what the parameters are for your real. Most senior leaders step into their roles knowing the basics but miss the finer details that might keep them focused, and it’s good to take time to prevent that.
It’s important to understand that each company has its own unique way of doing things and its own set of expectations, which means the first few months involve a steep learning curve. Don’t expect to have it all perfect from the first moment, but take time to learn exactly what the organization needs from you. This is especially true when it comes to decision-making authority and reporting structures.
Moreover, get clear on which decisions need your approval and which ones should be handled at lower levels since this clarity helps your team work more efficiently and saves you time, too.
Use A Mentor System
We’re never too high-level to learn. It’s a platitude (but a good one) to say leaders should recognize they can’t do everything alone, and finding someone who’s been in your shoes before will give you guidance for going through the complex situations you’ll no doubt face.
A good tip is that the best mentor relationships often develop with someone outside your direct chain of command because this gives you the freedom to discuss challenges openly without office politics getting in the way (as they otherwise might).
If you can book meetings, even casual ones, over coffee, it will help you to learn from their experiences and ask questions where possible. Their stories about past mistakes and lessons learned can help you avoid similar pitfalls, even though we all make a few. On top of that, their broader experience should give you insights you might never gain on your own. This outside perspective often helps us with blind spots in our thinking and approach to problems.
Use Your Prior Experience
Of course, you don’t have to throw away all of your past experience just because you have new responsibilities now. Odds are you managed to earn the position you have at this moment thanks to all of this. So let it guide you, despite what the imposter syndrome might be telling you.
To use a couple of examples, the problem-solving skills you developed managing a small team usually match to larger organizational challenges, and experience handling difficult client conversations builds communication skills that serve you well in any leadership role. You can expect difficult conversations, so it’s good prep.
Of course, looking back at what worked before and adapting those strategies to new situations helps you. That’s not to say your past has an answer for everything, but it’s better than never learning from it.
If you need a little confidence, keep in mind that your previous roles have shaped your understanding of how organizations work, how people respond to different management styles, and what approaches generally get the best results.
Understand The Proficiencies & Purview Of Those You Lead
You don’t necessarily have to come up with everything, but you do need to be a good manager or leader to those who have the tech proficiencies going forward.
Put simply, you need to get a handle on who’s good at what and, more importantly, who might need a bit of help in certain areas. Maybe one of your managers might be fantastic with spreadsheets but get nervous speaking to groups, but another could be brilliant with people but need someone to double-check their technical work.
This kind of knowledge is crucial when you’re figuring out who should handle what. You’ll pick up a lot of this just by talking to people and watching how things play out day to day. If you get an understanding of where people shine and where they struggle, you can spot who might be perfect for new projects that come up.
Consult With Managers Below You
Always remember that while you’re busy with admin, the managers under you see things you don’t. That’s because they’re right there in the thick of everything, dealing with the day-to-day stuff that you might not even know about. They also hear directly from their teams about what’s working and what’s causing headaches.
This means they often spot problems long before they become serious enough to reach your desk, and that gives you great insight if you know in advance. Having catch-ups with these managers, as you might have had with your mentor, can save you from a tough surprise like misappropriated funds in a department. Sure, it takes time out of your schedule, but it’s worth it.
Have A Strong Vision
Top leaders are generally paid for their vision, their willingness to set the agenda, and having a forward focus with a plan everyone can work on. This vision doesn’t need to be hyper-complex, actually, despite what you may have pictured, as simpler is usually better since people need to remember and relate to it easily.
Think about where your department or company should be in the next few years, and consider both practical goals and the values you’re trying to stick to. Sharing this vision with care allows you to more easily keep everyone focused and motivated, but it’s important to keep it grounded in achievable objectives too. If you can do this, you always have a resource to keep you guided.
Read Regular Briefs & Understand The Glossary Of Terms
Of course, you do have to stay informed about what’s going on in the organization. Nobody loves reading reports, but they tell you what’s really going on in your organization as long as you back that up with more in-person reports. You don’t have to love them, but you do need to read them properly, as a quick skim isn’t enough for most parts.
It can be helpful to understand the jargon associated with tasks too. For instance, if you’re overseeing a site expansion, understanding the waste removal software glossary can help you more readily utilize and embed those services in your daily operational planning. This is the kind of info that keeps you sharp as a manager, so taking time for personal updates is not a bad idea.
With this advice, you’re sure to overcome that feeling of worry and nail your new position with clarity.