“Nolens volens”

From the Latin, it means “whether unwilling or willing”.

In everyone’s career life, there will be times when your immediate supervisor had quit unexpectedly or going to take 3 months leave. And you will need to step up and lead, nolens volens. This can be a chance to excel as well as a chance to fail.

Here are five things that you can take note when the heat is on you to lead your team.

1) Don’t panic and don’t let fear take over

Don’t collapse and fake death when your boss informed you that you need to take over and lead. Be calm and tell yourself that you can do it just by taking one step at a time.

If you need further convincing, list down what’s working for you and what’s against you. And you will discover that most of your fears and worries are just a fragment of your imagination.

2) Ask and clarify

Your expectation of your new role might not be the same as your boss’s expectation.

So talk to your boss and ask him/her what’s his/her expectation of you in the new role. Understand their expectation and translate them to your objective/goals.

And don’t forget about the expectation of your team. Whether you succeed in your new role, it depends largely on your team’s performance. So clarify with your boss on the team’s performance goals as well.

3) Plan, plan and plan………. and plan again

It may seem a daunting task. But, once you understand what’s expected of you and the team and identify th challenges involved, it will be a lot easier.

List down the goals, next step to achieve the goals and the challenges involved. Keep referring to the list to make sure everything is on track.

4) Communication…….but listen first

It’s a tendency to start giving orders and expect everyone to behave like bees and start working without thinking.

They are equally confused like you when there are changes in the management. So communicate the team’s goals and your plan to them. Once done, stop talking and start listening for feedback.

To succeed, you will need the whole team’s efforts. So do involve the whole team in your planning.

5) Leadership style. Your own or stay as it is

You may not like how the last manager run the whole show. And you are eager to change everything since you firmly believe that a certain leadership style will work for the team.

Don’t do it within the first 2 months of your new role. People are generally resistant to changes. Too many changes will only confuse your team, and any plan will backfired.

Use the 2 months to observe and listen. There is a different view now that you are at the top.

Most importantly, gain the trust of your team first.

Summary

Always remember, there are reasons why you are chosen to take over. You must have some talent or do something right for your boss to make that decision.

So stop saying you can’t do it and starts doing it.