Fear + courage = growth

My eldest granddaughter starts school next year and she has her "practice" day this week. She says she is excited, but she also confides she's a bit scared. As much as I would love to be able say or do something that quiets that fear for her, I know that being out of our comfort zone is just part of life and if we learn to manage our relationship with fear it can actually be an asset.

Stepping up into a leadership role brings with it a range of emotions, doubts and fears and this is absolutely normal. Unfortunately, most of us are conditioned to have our "game face" on so when we look around at everybody else, they seem to be taking it all in their stride, and we feel like the only ones who don't have our act together.

I asked some of the people I have mentored over the years what their greatest fears were moving from a staff position to a leadership position, and this is a summary of what they said:

1. Responsibility for making the final decision - the buck stops with you!

2. Feeling like you have to prove yourself and earn respect from your team and the organisation as a whole.

3. Questioning your own competence.

4. Being compared to others who came before you.

5. Fear of failing.

6. Learning to delegate.

7. Am I skilled enough to be walking the team through changes and expectations?

8. Will there be support available for me?

Just like my granddaughter's rite of passage, there is no antidote or quick fix that alleviates these fears, but we can employ some tools and strategies to help us through this transitional experience.

1. The most important thing to remember is that how you are feeling is normal and that you have an amazing opportunity for learning, growth and contribution ahead of you.

2. It is also important to acknowledge that you won't know everything you need to know at the outset, you are embarking on a learning curve. You will be doing plenty of things that you haven't done before. You won't get absolutely everything right but that doesn't mean you are failing; it means you are learning and building a competency base.

3. Talk to your supervisor about the support you need from them, more than likely they will appreciate knowing exactly how they can help and guide you in your new role.

4. Seek out a mentor, someone you can trust implicitly, that can help put your concerns and fears into perspective and is prepared to be honest with you.

5. Don't be afraid to engage with your new group of peers, they will feel privileged that you have sought them out for advice and want to help you as much as possible. They will have valuable "inside" knowledge and relevant experiences they can share with you.

6. Continue to be you. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to be more like your predecessor, or more authoritarian, or more aloof. Yes, some relationship dynamics will naturally need to change but your success as a leader relies on your ability to remain authentic.

7. Trust yourself. You've clearly been smart enough to figure it out thus far and there is no reason why you won't continue to do so.

On a personal note, my first "career" job (beyond waitressing, coaching netball and data entry while I was university) was at a small shire council along the Murray River in northern Victoria. I was employed as an Aged and Disability Services Officer, and there was great excitement in my first week because they were about to take delivery of a new minibus that had a mechanical hoist to load and unload wheelchairs. Fantastic! But then came my first big "wet my knickers" moment when they told me I was going to be the backup driver and I needed to get my light truck licence.

A team leader from the works depot, Ian, had the job of teaching me to drive a 16 tonne truck, in the days of double clutching and all the rest. It must have been quite amusing to see Ian pull up at the offices each day for my lesson and me toddle out in my sensible work dress and heels and somehow climb into the driver's seat. Anyway, Ian was a lovely man and a patient teacher and as we drove around town and practiced changing gears and double clutching, we had some great chats and many laughs. I managed to pass my test and secure my light truck licence, which I still marvel at today. However, the bigger, longer lasting lesson that I learned was that I can push through, and I can do hard things, and I can do it with fear riding in the passenger seat.

"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." - John F. Kennedy