The changing of the guard

It’s rare that key leadership changes happen, but how do we react when they do? Do we patiently wait for new change or do we leap at a fresh chance to have our old dismissed problems revisited. How long do we give new leaders before we begin to judge their performance? Everyone’s leadership style is different, and the larger the company, the longer it takes for their effect to trickle down verticals. But how long should you evaluate someone? What’s a fair honeymoon period? If someone were to replace you, how would you judge them? Are you judging yourself by the same standards?

We might see a few of these hats at the races this year

How do we build corporate structures that are resilient to change, regardless of the individuals in charge? The most adaptive systems can handle changing leadership because they have long term strategic plans. Executive leadership teams focus heavily on strategy, leaving all of the execution to others. As the business scales, so must their decisions. As the ship gets larger, the longer it takes to change course.

And some ships sink

When someone takes over above you it can sometimes feel like you’ve been overlooked. But how aggressively do you position yourself for internal roles that open up? Generally, those above you don’t have the time to consider empathetic decisions on who may be the right fit for a position. They may not even consider replacing you instead of replacing someone higher up! They may feel like you’re irreplaceable. And generally, you should be.