First Day

Today was my sons' first day of school. As expected, they were nervous, new teacher, new classmates, new school room, etc. Walking them to the bus stop this morning, I was nervous for them (why is it that we get nervous for them? it is because we think back to our first day of school?).

Several times in my career, I was hired into a leadership role from the outside when I did not know much about the staff. Those first days were the toughest of my career. First days are stressful anyway, but be in a new role in a leadership capacity adds to that stress. You show up and every one and every thing is new (feeling out of the element), but you are the one "in charge". While some staff will be looking for a sign of brillance in the first hour, others will be questioning why we hired this person in the first place.

Here are some learnings from my "first day" experiences:

1. Recognize the First day is only one day and its a long road.
2. Take your Time; You do not need to know everything and everyone the first day
3. Be Yourself; this is what got you into this position in the first place
4. Take Charge; send a signal that you are the new leader whether by a staff meeting, quick conference call outlining what your overall plan is for the next few months
5. Communicate; Set the foundation for what you want to have done during the first 90 days

I advised my sons with the first three (did not think they needed a 90 day plan) and told them to take a deep breathe and all will be fine. However, as the bus drove away, I still had those butterflies in my stomach and hoping their first day goes well!