But … what!!??!! Who’s leading me?!!

Have you ever been told, “Here! Get this done.” But felt like you have little guidance or direction, and have no idea how your manager expects you to get this done.

I definitely have! When I worked in pharmaceutical sales, I had an ambitious quota … and a really tricky territory that wasn’t particularly rep-friendly. My business didn’t care; they had a revenue goal they were driving towards. And my manager, while a great woman, didn’t want to hear about my problems– she wanted me to achieve a result!

So if you’ve ever found yourself challenged to lead an initiative, but are uncertain on how to see it through, here’s some guidance to help you bring a little clarity to your situation:

First, reflect on your organization’s mission – what is it that you’re supposed to be doing and how does the task align with your purpose? Sometimes this is obvious – Sell more pharmaceuticals – but not everything you’re asked to do is bright lined in your job description.
Next, consider precedence or best practices – how has the task been handled before? What are others doing … and what have others done … to achieve success?
Then, seek mentorship. Rather than go back to your boss right away for additional guidance, ask someone who has done your job before to gain insight into context.
Finally, have confidence in yourself. If you’ve been asked to do something, that means your manager has confidence in you and thinks you’re capable of achieving success. Depending on the size of the task, consider how much risk you’re willing to take by demonstrating initiative.

And if there’s ever a task where the risk to you (such as safety) or others (like it could be costly) is too high for your comfort, go back to your manager and share with them what you think you’re planning on doing and get their feedback. This last step might help you avoid a mistake you’ll regret later.

The bottom line is: Don’t be stymied when you’re not getting the guidance you need. There will always be uncertainty when we’re challenged to do something new. The hallmark of a true leader is to rely on yourself to gain clarity by gathering knowledge and reflecting on the initiative you can take. And sometimes the answer for success is simply by ignoring what you can’t do and by focusing on what you can!

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