Exposed! The stadium is looking at you.
Every senior leader has experienced it. You get the job, prepare to start, get in the building and then…those eyes.
People look at you differently when you are senior. How you carry yourself, who you interact with, how you dress, what makes you smile, you name it. It is a whole new level of scrutiny.
You become a source of intrigue for those who applied for your job and did not get it, those on the way up who need to know how you made it happen and all those who are convinced senior leadership is ‘just not for them’.
Like it or not, it is part of the job. Snap judgements about whether you are up to it will be made in bulk.
Here are four ‘how tos’ for dealing with the stadium looking at you.
1. Walk tall
First things first, you asked for this.
You might prefer it did not happen, most of all if you have been internally promoted and the scrutiny is coming from your former peers. By applying for the job you have opened yourself up.
Given that you got the job and others did not, and that the people who appointed you need you to succeed, the least you can do is not walk around as though you are carrying a lead weight on your shoulders.
If you consciously walk tall, and with a little confidence, you will project a positive image. Inside you may feel very different, and beyond awkward, but you need to see it through. You now share collective responsibility for the performance of the whole enterprise, and how you behave has an influence on how that is viewed internally. If it ever was just about you, it isn’t now.
And by the way, you will get used to it. The weight disappears after a while, but if you start off with a stoop it can be hard to shift. Start as you mean to go on.
2. A little imposter syndrome goes a long way
There is a difference between walking tall and acting as if you suddenly own the place.
It is one of the many balances to strike, between confidence and arrogance. People will be interested in you, but not everyone will show it by interacting with you directly.
Observing from a distance, analysing the tone of the email they are copied into and hearing what others have to say are all ways in which people will make up their mind. Those who do interact may only do so once to see if they get eye contact and a smile, and if you remember their name afterwards.
Imposter syndrome brings its own balance. In my experience almost everyone has this when they start, and the vast majority continue to experience it in some form even if it comes and goes.
This is a good thing as it is accompanied by humility, which is an absolute core feature of leadership. For those leaders who have never experienced imposter syndrome, those who work with them dearly wish they had. People need their leaders to think before they act, question their abilities and seek the input of others.
They also need them to show a little vulnerability. It proves you are human and recognise you are capable of making mistakes. It cannot be a defining feature, as ultimately you are paid to get it right most of the time, but it can also inspire genuine confidence.
3. Counter the loneliness
Senior leadership can be a lonely place.
By definition you now have fewer peers, and whilst they have every reason to support you they may also be scrutinising you more than anyone else. How you perform also reflects on them, and can affect their workload and priorities.
Opportunities to receive genuine feedback or emotional support may be limited, and the long hours can mean you miss everyday experiences you used to take for granted. Ironically, the pressure to retain a strong and confident persona at all times also creates the perception that everything is fine.
Fewer people will ask how you really are, so you need to be proactive. You are not alone in dealing with this issue. Find those networks of others in the same position, both in person and online. However bad your day has been, someone out there has had it worse and is prepared to share it.
This is a sound investment of your time. The intense stress and pressure associated with the role requires you to absorb it without going under. The most difficult moments can come from nowhere and you have to be ready for that too. Stopping just short of burnout and total exhaustion is no way to operate.
It is why I do what I do. Senior leaders who clarify their thoughts with a neutral party on an ongoing basis counter the loneliness most effectively, and enable themselves to perform at their best.
4. Scrutiny goes both ways
Senior leaders are there to hold others to account. ‘Coping’ with the job may feel like an achievement much of the time but it is not enough. Line management matters.
Form your relationships, introduce yourself, find your way around - do all those things you need to do right at the start. But in your first set of line management meetings with your direct reports you need to set the tone. There is a power imbalance and it is there for a reason.
I am not saying you need to make this explicit, or present yourself as motivated by it. But you do need to show you are cognisant. Ask some questions, find out what they are most proud of, explore why an area or two may not be performing as required and take in what is said. At the outset it is your meeting.
If you do not demonstrate you are in charge, your direct reports may wonder what you do. The stadium will get to hear about this. The first person who has a line management meeting with you will doubtlessly be asked by others how it went and what they should do. This is an opportunity for you to project a message.
Those you manage need to see that you are investing some time in getting on top of your brief, and will listen carefully. They are likely to be ready with answers about areas not yet in the right place.
The power imbalance is also accompanied by your role as advocate for them if they are spoken about unfairly by one of your colleagues. They need to speak up for them and provide clarity where necessary.
Remember that
The large majority of people will make up their own mind about you, and not be swayed too heavily by the experience of others. How they find you in ‘their dealings with you’ will count.
The scrutiny of the stadium presents many opportunities to project who you are and what you are about. People need to see that their leaders are in it for the right reasons. The exposure which comes with senior leadership is also a chance to inspire.
How can I help you?
1. One to one coaching programmes for senior leaders who are swamped by their jobs so they can thrive in life. Click here to discover where you are on your journey from Frantic to Fulfilled? Just 5 minutes of your time and you will receive a full personalised report with guidance on your next steps!
2. Team coaching programmes - working IN a team is not the same as working AS a team and yet they are often treated as if they are the same. I help teams move from the former to the latter, and generate huge shifts in productivity and outcomes.
3. Talks, workshops and seminars - including topics relevant to the two areas above plus explaining Gen Z to Gen X.
