Navigating Leadership Changes: Why Your Career Strategy Must Outlast Your Manager
"The uncertainty is exhausting. Every time a new manager comes in, it's with new expectations and priorities. It's hard to stay motivated when you're constantly adjusting to a new normal."
These words came from Kim during our recent coaching session, visibly overwhelmed as she described having three different managers in just two years.
With each transition, she felt her accomplishments were being lost in the shuffle and the goal posts moving further away.
"I have clear career goals, but with constant leadership changes, I feel like I'm on a ship without a rudder. How can I chart a clear course when the captain keeps changing?"
As Kim shared her story, I felt a deep resonance with her experience.
Having been on both sides of this equation – as an individual contributor navigating shifting environments and as a manager stepping into reorganization changes – I've learned a crucial truth: you can't let instability derail your career.
You have to take ownership of your development.
Let me share the framework I provided to Kim for taking control of her professional journey, even in the midst of organizational turbulence.
1. Let Them Know What's Important to You
One of my biggest mistakes as an individual contributor going through leadership changes was staying silent about my aspirations and concerns.
I focused solely on adaptation, assuming I'd eventually find my way back to my original career path.
However, my perspective evolved when I became a manager, largely because of my awesome teams. I was really impressed by those who openly shared their feelings about organizational changes, their views on impacts, and their personal and professional goals.
Their transparency was incredibly valuable because it gave me the context and substance needed to support their development and advocate for them effectively.
If you're experiencing leadership changes, don't make my mistake.
Share your story with your new manager. Be clear about what matters to you, why it matters, and what support you need from them.
2. Find Out What's Important to Them
While you're opening up about your priorities, take time to understand your new manager's perspective. Stepping into a different environment isn't easy for them either. They're tasked with:
Learning strategic business goals
Translating those goals into team objectives
Fostering team growth and development
Managing their own personal and professional priorities
Understanding what matters to your new manager serves two purposes: it helps establish open rapport and reveals opportunities where you can align your work with their objectives.
3. Reassess What You Should and Shouldn't Be Doing
After this mutual exchange of perspective, it's time for a critical evaluation of your work portfolio.
This means:
Discussing your current scope with your manager
Sharing your view on project priorities
Seeking their feedback and input
I've seen too many talented professionals fall into the trap of staying heads-down in their existing work while their new leadership team shifts focus and direction.
This often results in investing time in initiatives that no longer align with organizational priorities, missing fresh opportunities to solve present-day challenges.
Don't let this happen to you.
Have explicit conversations about how your work needs to evolve with the organization, and proactively seek ways to contribute to new team goals in a meaningful way.
4. Make Sure Your Work Is Visible
In times of change, visibility becomes even more critical.
Your new manager is juggling multiple things – getting up to speed, setting strategy, and managing daily operations. You need to be proactive about showcasing your work's relevance and impact.
Here are examples of brief yet powerful ways to highlight your contributions:
Project Management: "I'm managing the implementation of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which will support more than 50K employees in one of our strategic accounts. This new system will be 60% more efficient than their legacy system."
Sales: "I'm developing a strategic sales plan to expand into new markets, aiming to increase our customer base by 15% within the next year."
Engineering: "The new system we're developing for Client-A will automate their most critical business process and save the company 100 hours of manual labor per week."
When you regularly share highlights like these, they become part of your manager's narrative about team accomplishments, amplifying your visibility across the organization.
Check out this previous article for more in depth guidance on how to make sure your work is visible.
5. Put Together a Longer Term Plan
While managing the immediate transition, don't lose sight of your long-term career trajectory.
This means honestly assessing how recent changes impact your professional goals:
Does this latest change take you off course?
Will you be delayed, but still see a path for success?
Is your path completely blocked or unclear now?
Effective change management requires both tactical responses and strategic recalibration. Take time to deliberately think through your updated career strategy.
The Power of Proactive Career Management
Kim took this framework and used it to revamp her career strategy. Through careful assessment, she realized that while her new manager seemed great, the current environment wasn't aligned with her longer-term career goals. She's now exploring new opportunities that better match her aspirations.
Sometimes this will be the outcome – you'll recognize that fulfillment requires a move. Other times, you'll discover that your desired outcomes are still achievable, perhaps even more so, in the new environment.
The key message isn't about staying or leaving, it's about taking control of your professional journey. While you can't dictate all circumstances, you can control how you navigate them and what steps you take next.
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