Taking Over a New Team? Here’s How to Engage and Lead From Day One

Although an exciting opportunity, inheriting a new team can feel like a potential minefield. There are pre-existing interpersonal dynamics to navigate, as well as an expectation that you fit into what already exists more than the shape you want to create. Your early actions as the new team lead, then, are critical, and they shape trust, credibility, and performance for the better (or for worse).

That being said, there are a few great tools out there to help set you — and your new team — up for success from early on in your tenure. Building trust is essential for creating a foundation where your new team feels valued, heard, and motivated to follow your lead, and understanding the existing culture before making changes will help you lead with empathy and insight. That means clear (and consistent) communications, actions, and celebrations of small wins in your first few weeks! This will help you set a great tone for long-term success at the helm.

Start by listening and learning

It can be tempting to identify and action changes immediately, but resisting this urge while you focus on getting to know the team can help build essential trust and credibility, and empower you to make deeper improvements over time. 

To help you feel that you are making a difference right away, start with simply observing how each of your team member's talents show up in their daily tasks and interactions. 

You can also set up informal one-on-ones to get to know your direct reports. Be sure to learn about their self-identified strengths, their goals and challenges, and what makes them feel purpose-driven and successful at work. For example, with the CliftonStrengths framework, a team member with high Input talent may light up when they’re asked to share insights and resources. Someone with high Relator talent may value a deeper, trust-based conversation that’s less directly focused on their day to day activity. 

Not only will listening, observing, and learning from your new team will help develop trust and establish your credibility as a leader (and not just a manager), but these early actions will help you to implement longer-term changes and improvements over time. 

Understand the existing team culture

A strong, healthy team culture is shaped by shared values, norms, and complementary strengths. Once you’ve begun the process of getting to know individual team members, you can start to connect the dots on how the team flows as a whole, identify culture themes, and begin the process of planning your contributions to the culture. If many of your direct reports have Strategic as a strength, decision-making for the team might be more future-focused. If Consistency is common, then fairness and process will be significant pillars of action. 

Just as above, it’s in your best interests to avoid disrupting cultural dynamics too quickly. Exercising restraint in this area in your early days will demonstrate respect for your team and their strengths, while giving you time to identify opportunities to enhance it and make your mark over time.

Build trust and rapport through early wins

Small but mighty wins in your early weeks will help build confidence in your leadership. But it can be hard to see how best to find these wins and celebrate them when you’re still getting your bearings in your new role. 

Think about the following examples: If a direct report demonstrates high Achiever qualities, see about assigning them a challenging but attainable task with clear metrics and timelines. If someone trends more toward Woo, ask them to help rally the team for a collaborative initiative. 

These early wins highlight that you’re paying attention to and leveraging your team’s capabilities, and invested in setting them up for success. Note how this is subtly, but remarkably, different from coming into a leadership position appearing as if you’re going to test team members or seek flaws. 

Celebrate strengths and make them visible

Encouraging open recognition of each person’s contributions is another great way to establish essential rapport and celebrate early wins. Make strengths part of everyday conversations by referencing them in meetings, emails, and project assignments or debriefs.

Visibility reinforces value, and motivates people to continue contributing their best at work. 

Lay the foundation for trust, not control

The first days with an inherited team are about connection and building momentum. Avoid falling into the trap of barrelling in with too many changes and overbearing management style by leaning into the CliftonStrengths framework. It offers a shortcut to understanding and engaging people as they truly are. 

Not only will this help build trust with your team and set you up for lasting leadership success, but exercising your listening skills and establishing a position rooted in empathy will also help you feel confident in your early actions at the helm of this new-to-you role. 

If you need a little more support with learning how best to leverage CliftonStrengths in engaging your new team, consider our tactical Startup Manager Training for new, first-time, and always-growing managers and team leads.