Joining a Company as a Leader? Avoid These Mistakes
Humble leaders inspire greatness through their actions.
Joining a new company is overwhelming, no matter your role, level, or expertise.
In roles like Senior or Staff Engineer, Engineering Manager, or Technical Product Manager, it’s even more crucial to succeed early. The company has invested its trust in you during the interview.
Imagine joining a new company and feeling judged by every team member when you're asking questions or discussing topics. What could be going wrong?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear checklist for the behaviors or traits to exhibit when joining a new company or even a new team internally. But, I've seen a common theme among new leaders. They often carry unconscious habits from their old roles. These habits can hinder success in a new environment..
I have worked in companies of all sizes and onboarded successfully a few times. I made a few mistakes, while others I observed among struggling new joiners. In today’s edition, I will share from my experience, a few mistakes to avoid when joining a new company as a leader.
👋 Hey there, I am Gourav. I write about Engineering, Productivity, Thought Leadership, and the Mysteries of the mind!
In the last few weeks, I couldn't release new editions because life hit me hard. My family and I had some big ups and downs. Things are finally settling, so I'm back with this new edition. I hope you like it.
1. Breadth vs Depth
In your last job, you were the senior person, and everyone relied on your input for various tasks. You may not need this in your new role immediately.
When I joined a company, in the past they told me that focusing on too many things at once was lowering my chances of success by losing focus.
It's crucial to check with your manager on their priorities. Generally, as a Senior/Staff engineer, it's better to have depth in a few areas and then expand breadth after settling in.
2. Not Building Trust
This is the most significant factor that can lead to failure in a new job, despite having technical strength.
Trust is crucial in every aspect of leadership. If your team doesn’t trust you today, you can’t lead them tomorrow.
Many tech-savvy people question the team’s every past decision. They cause conflicts to prove their point. Ego sometimes motivates individuals, especially those in senior roles. This behavior harms your career. It also leads to resentment and hurts performance and respect.
Another aspect is showing seniority and forgetting the key point: "Influence without authority".
When joining a new company, it's better to mentally step down and understand the ground realities that other engineers face. Imposing your knowledge without understanding the new tech stack and systems can hurt your success. You were an expert at your old company. But, these new systems and fields are complex. Comprehend their perspectives first, then exert your persuasive power.
3. Fighting with Your Manager
This is rarely effective. I once did this and regret it even today.
There are better ways to make your point while being humble and a good listener. While it's sometimes valid to disagree with your manager, remember they were here before you and probably know better than you. Being patient and putting effort into building a trusting relationship is essential.
Every manager has their own style and thought process. Adapting to their approach will take some adjusting. But, you must do this while keeping your aura and finding a balance. This will foster a good long-term relationship.
Remember, your manager is more important to you than the whole company. They play a huge role in your career growth, protecting you in difficult situations, and vouching for and promoting you.
4. Over-Showing Your Expertise
You may have done well in the interview. And you know a lot about distributed systems and complex software problems. But, if you talk too much about your past jobs, you may seem inflexible. You may seem like you don't want to learn new things or adapt to the new work culture.
Key Takeaways
Understand clear expectations of the role before you scatter yourself over.
Be humble, and polite and earn the trust of your juniors, peers, and leaders.
Never break a relationship with your manager. A manager is your best buddy.
Don’t stick to old practices, processes, and tech stacks. Unlearn to learn more.
Shoutouts 🔊
How to Start Writing a Newsletter and Succeed by Raviraj Achar
5 Toxic Behaviors to Avoid if you are a Software Engineer by
Great software teams don't release in phases by Anton Zaides
7 Tips to Crush Your Onboarding from An Apple Staff Engineer by
in collaboration withHow to Influence Without Authority with Irina Stanescu by
in partnership with
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Gourav Khanijoe