You've earned your place. Now what changes?

You've worked hard to get here. You know your stuff, you've built a reputation for delivering and people trust you to get things done.

There's a lot to feel good about. You've earned this opportunity, and there's plenty to look forward to. But stepping into a more senior role can also feel surprisingly uncomfortable.

You might find yourself sitting alongside people you've always looked up to, wondering whether you really belong. Decisions carry more weight. People expect you to have a view on things that stretch well beyond your area of expertise. And the familiar satisfaction of being the person who gets things done can be harder to find.

Perhaps you're working harder to prove yourself, when what the role really needs is for you to work differently.

None of this means you were the wrong person for the job. Nor does it mean abandoning what made you successful.

It's about recognising what you need to build on, what you might need to let go of and how you want to lead at this level.

The things that got you here aren't necessarily what you need next.

For years, you've probably been valued for knowing your stuff, solving problems and being someone others can rely on. You've built your reputation by delivering, often by getting personally involved when something needs sorting.

But the more senior you become, the less your contribution is measured by what you can personally get done or the hours you're putting in.

You may now be responsible for people who need to develop their own judgement, rather than coming to you for every answer. You might need to influence decisions without having the final say, work alongside colleagues with competing priorities or contribute to conversations well outside your specialist knowledge.

That can be frustrating.

Delegating something you could do yourself in half the time doesn't always feel productive. Holding back when you know the answer can feel unnatural. Making time to consider the bigger picture can feel almost indulgent when your inbox is overflowing and everyone wants something from you.

So you keep doing what you've always done. You work harder, stay involved and make yourself available. Except now, the very things that made you indispensable can start to hold you back.

The challenge isn't to become less capable. It's to recognise where your contribution needs to change.

And that often starts with questioning habits you've never previously had reason to question.

You don't need to become someone else to lead differently.

You bring your own personality, experience, values and way of seeing the world to your role. Those things matter. The aim of our work isn't to change who you are, but to understand yourself well enough to recognise when your usual approach is helping you and when it might be getting in your way.

Our conversations are confidential, honest and sometimes challenging. I'll ask questions that make you stop and think, explore things you might not have considered and, when I notice something that seems important, I'll say so.

We'll look beyond what happened in a particular meeting or conversation to understand what was going on for you. What prompted your response? What were you thinking or feeling at the time? What might someone else have experienced? And what could you do differently next time?

Sometimes the changes are surprisingly small. Listening for a little longer before offering your view. Asking a question instead of providing the answer. Recognising when you're taking responsibility for something that belongs to someone else.

The important part is what happens when you return to work. You try something different, notice how people respond and consider what you've learnt. We build on that experience rather than simply talking about what good leadership should look like.

You remain yourself. But you become more deliberate about how you lead, the choices you make and the effect those choices have on others.

“Where would you like to begin?

First of all, congratulations. You've worked hard for this. But now the excitement is settling, perhaps you're beginning to wonder what you've actually signed up for.

The temptation is to throw yourself into the role and prove they made the right decision.

But before you do, it's worth considering whether the way you've always worked is what this new role actually needs from you.

Where will your experience help or hinder? Where might comfort zone tasks from the old role start getting in your way? What will you need to approach differently when you're responsible for more than your own work?

A starting point: Your Leadership Self-Audit

You'll explore how you see yourself today. What you believe you do well, where you struggle, which behaviours you might need to leave behind and what you want to develop.

We'll also consider the wider picture, including the demands on your time, the boundaries you may need to establish and the support that could make a difference, both professionally and personally.

It's your perspective, based on what you know and believe about yourself. And that's an important starting point, although it isn't necessarily the whole picture.

What will people expect of you? How do you establish yourself with new colleagues, or navigate relationships with people who were previously your peers? What if everyone thinks you don't have a scooby about what you're doing?

And where do you even begin?

How will this help me?

You'll complete the Leadership Self-Audit before we meet. I'll review your responses, then we'll spend 90 minutes working through what emerges, challenging assumptions and identifying where your attention would be most useful.

Together, we'll put together a manageable starting plan, with a few practical adjustments you can begin making straight away, whether that's changing how you approach a conversation, stepping back from something you've always taken responsibility for or establishing a boundary you've been putting off.

You'll leave knowing what to focus on first, why it matters and what steps you can take now. Not a complete overhaul of how you work, but a starting point you can build on as you settle into your new responsibilities.

Contact

You've got the role. Now make it your own.

You've stepped into a bigger role, but you're not quite finding your feet in the way that you expected yourself to.

Things that used to feel straightforward aren't in your remit anymore. You're questioning decisions, second-guessing how you come across and wondering whether other people see you as belonging at this level. Even the things you've always been good at don't seem to work quite the same way anymore.

And while you're trying to establish yourself, everyone else seems to expect you to have it all figured out.

Having someone in your corner over several months, and that might well be me, gives you somewhere to say what you're really thinking and feeling, including the frustrations, doubts and questions you'd rather not share at work.

It's a chance to work through what's happening as it happens, challenge some of your assumptions/expectations and try different ways of approaching things.

Over time, you'll develop a stronger sense of your own way of leading, what matters to you and what you want to stand for. You'll begin to feel that you belong at this level, recognise how much you're learning and become more comfortable with the fact that you don't have to know everything. Nobody does.

EXECUTIVE COACHING

"SMC came highly recommended by a colleague and we started working together in 2017. I had recently started a new leadership role following a career break and was looking for practical advice on my re-entry. I work in a large (10,000 staff) public sector organization which had changed significantly in my absence and I was lacking self-confidence and clarity in the role. I was considering other career options and was also struggling to find time outside work for the things I really enjoy. Overall I felt I had lost some of my passion.

Kim’s approach is effective as she takes the time to listen and fully understand your situation. She also has significant business experience herself, which meant her suggestions to me were always insightful and practical, which is not always the case with coaching. She is also very straightforward, asking incisive questions to get to the heart of an issue.

Our sessions helped me to organize my thoughts and develop clear plans to achieve my goals and since starting coaching with SMC I have made a number of significant changes. I have instigated changes to my role which mean I am now contributing more to my organization and feel more motivated. However, equally importantly for me, Kim’s input has spurred me to rekindle some of my interests outside of work and I have achieved a better balance in my life.

I would recommend SMC without hesitation for anyone looking for leadership, executive or personal development coaching. My organization has seen significant gains as a result of my coaching - I am more effective and productive and I felt empowered to make changes from within the organization rather than moving on. I am sure I will work with Kim again in the future."

Book a call