From Rachel Toor
One of the first things I ask newish presidents to talk about is their leadership team.
When you first arrive on campus, how do you know who to trust? Most of us are suspicious of those who row out first to greet the ship. They want something. New leaders soon learn everybody wants something and a president has no friends on their own campus.
There's plenty of generic advice to be had.
Everyone says the same thing: trust your gut. Like most bits of easy wisdom, that's obvious and also not so readily accomplished. And really, perhaps not entirely self-aware. As the late Daniel Kahneman pointed out, “Many people are overconfident, prone to place too much faith in their intuitions."
Everyone says you can't move too quickly. And you can't move too slowly. Again, very wise. But how do you know what the right pace is, especially when starting a new role in unfamiliar terrain?
So we're back to: trust your gut.
That's why general advice, while certainly sometimes useful, is often better when couched in personal experience and, like good writing, is specific.
A current president said her trick when landing in a new place is to have coffee with support staff and build relationships with them. These long-timers often see and hear more than they say, and are rarely asked their opinions. They talk to each other and know where the bodies are buried—and who did the burying.
She knows that while her cabinet members may yes ma'am her and tell her how brilliant she is, sometimes they go back to their offices and carp about that idiot, the president. Administrators come and go; administrative assistants often stick around forever.
Everyone says they want their team to push back and be honest with them. No one ever says, "I create a culture of fear and trembling." But we know that plenty of leaders do just that.
How do you make sure you have a team who will tell you when you're missing something? Most people are unwilling to speak up if doing so can threaten their job security, especially around a new boss.
Talking to your partner or spouse is fine. But if you're in the right relationship, they are going to default to taking your side.
My motto is that we all need editing, all the time. Finding the right executive coach is a good strategy. And once you do, maybe it's also important to listen to them. Even when they tell you things you don't want to hear. Especially then. (Sometimes the problem is you.)
