Transitions: redefining personal & corporate wins...

Earlier this year, I asked my friend Mark Waltz to talk a few minutes with some leaders about navigating transitons. I jotted down a few notes. Found them again today. Helpful as ever. Thanks, Mark. 

You are the most qualified person to set yourself up for the win. Nobody knows what’s best for you better than you. Remember, the relationships inside any transition are the hardest to protect. Bearing down and focusing on the task alone is when people get hurt. Don’t skip these crucial steps. 

Sequence. Pay attention to sequencing. It matters. Don’t let go too early. The hand-off is on you. Are you setting up the baton pass so the person running the next leg will win? You were not hired to juggle—you were hired to move the ball down the field. If you are juggling with no sequence, it’s a circus act. 
Embrace. Change is happening, embrace it. Don’t play the hero role. Don’t play the victim. (“I keep my cape tucked.” Yeah, right.) When you play the hero or victim, you discount your own ability to work smart and balance well. You also diminish your team’s confidence in leadership. 
Empower. Work with and empower team around you. Avoid the two extremes: holding too tightly and throwing it away too fast. Don’t power up and take it all on yourself. Don’t isolate and put other people at a distance with the attitude “I’m going to prove I can do this without anyone’s help.”