New to Leadership? Focus on Building Relationships
On this page
Tip
When you first step into a leadership role, it’s smart to focus on achieving quick wins, but you shouldn’t do so at the expense of building relationships with your colleagues. Without those connections, you won’t have the influence you need to succeed over the long term.
Start by building trust. It’s far easier to lead people when they believe in you. Prioritize meeting one on one with each of your direct reports and peers. Use this time to ask questions like: What does success look like for you? What do you want to be known for? How do you measure progress? Their answers will help you better understand their motivations, aspirations, and goals.
In these conversations and others, listen more than you talk. And be present, especially during meetings. Put your phone away and focus fully on the person you’re speaking with. Ask clarifying questions like: What do you think of this approach? Is there another way to do this?
Avoid using statements with “but” as this negates what has been said. Instead, formulate your concerns as a question like “Have you considered the impact of xyz?” or “How would you scale up that solution?”
Even though you’re a leader now, you don’t have to have the last word on everything. Ask for your team’s opinions, be open to other alternatives, and listen to understand and expand your perspective.
This will help lay the groundwork for stronger relationships and your effectiveness as a leader.
Translations
🇨🇳 新官上任？专注建立关系
当你第一次不如领导岗位时，专注于快速取得成功是明智的，但你不应该以牺牲与同事的关系为代价。如果没有这些联系，你就不会有长期成功所需要的影响力。
从建立信任开始。当人们相信你的时候，领导他们就容易多了。 优先考虑与你的直接下属和同事一对一的会面。 利用这段时间问这样的问题：成功对你来说是什么样子的？ 你想因什么而出名？ 你如何衡量进步？ 他们的回答将帮助你更好地理解他们的动机、抱负和目标。
在对话中，多听少说。 特别是在开会的时候。 把你的手机放在一边，全神贯注于你正在与之交谈的人。 问一些清楚的问题，比如：你认为这种方法怎么样？ 还有别的办法吗？
避免使用带有“但是”的语句，因为这会否定所说的内容。 取而代之的是，将你的关注点表述为一个问题，比如“你考虑过 xyz 的影响吗？”或者“你将如何扩展解决方案？”
即使你现在是一个领导者，你也不必对每件事都有最后的决定权。询问你的团队的意见，对其他的选择持开放的态度，倾听并理解你的观点。
这将有助于建立更牢固的人际关系和你作为领导者的效率。
