Five Agendas for Successful Leadership Transitions
Let’s reminisce for a moment. How was your last transition into a new leadership role? If you’re like many leaders, it was challenging, confusing, and stressful.
Leaders who move into higher leadership roles often are surprised that their standard approach and skills are no longer enough to be successful. They feel like they’ve been rewarded for success with an opportunity to fail.
Of course, failure is not inevitable. The right preparation can make or break a transition. Organizations that understand what is necessary for success at each leadership level can support individuals before, during, and after the transition.
PDI Ninth House has helped leaders make successful transitions for more than four decades. We know that leaders not only have to identify what is most critical for the early days, they have to lay the foundation for long-term success. Leaders also have to let go of approaches that were critical in the past, but are irrelevant to success in the new role.
The Five Agendas of Leaders
Using The Five Agendas of Leaders is an effective way to build a foundation for a successful transition. The Five Agendas framework helps leaders pay appropriate attention to elements that are critical to long-term leadership effectiveness. This framework is particularly useful during transitions into new roles, when leaders often focus intensely on one or two agendas, such as business and relationship, leaving the others to suffer.
Leaders who want to make a smooth transition need to start planning early. They should envision and renew their leadership agenda, examine their leadership values and mission, and anticipate the implications for how they want to lead as they enter a new role.
