zoom out and then in to pick your first move

When you’re planning how to start in a new leadership position, zoom out then in. 

To zoom out, ask yourself: what would wild success a year into this leadership role look like?

Start describing that wild success with a few bullet points, then add texture and specificity. What kinds of choices are your teammates consistently making? What can you count on as the reliable mood and pace of problem solving? What external evidence or quantitative measures of success will be visible?

Now, zoom in, asking yourself: given that that's a year out, how should I start? What do you need to do in the early going to bring about the specific successes you described? 

Get even more specific and ask yourself: on the very first day with your new team, knowing that a year from then you're going to have that wild success and your initial plan is generally what you just said…

What does the first day require of you as a leader of that team? 

-Ben