I’m not the world’s most avid card player, but I enjoy a few games every now and then. Because of the limitless variability, card games give my noggin a good workout—and I like that. And while luck can play an occasional role, winning consistently requires an aptitude to assess a randomly distributed set of cards and strategize accordingly. Even when the cards you receive aren’t ideal, a win is still possible. It’s up to you to figure out the best possible play with what’s in your hands.
That’s a valuable takeaway for those starting out in business leadership. This often translates to accepting to oversee employees and procedures already in place. Much like the cards dealt at game night, new managers (or experienced managers in new settings) won’t know what they have until there’s an appraisal of what they’ve been dealt. As much as you’d like to handpick personnel to match your strategic vision, this generally isn’t a luxury new managers are afforded.
But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Understanding that certain factors aren’t in your control during the early stages of a managerial assignment will bring plenty of opportunities for valuable experience and maturation. You may arrive to find misassigned personnel floundering in a functional process. Or, you may discover capable personnel struggling in a haphazard system. With time, you can continually evaluate the strengths of your staff and structure to align them for success.
By no means am I implying this is an easy task. There will be periods of underperformance, miscommunication, and poor morale—regardless of how long you’ve been a manager. As a leader, though, it’s up to you to navigate these matters. Dealing with difficulties comes with the territory. Resilience and flexibility are necessary qualities for a manager—especially when new—to get the job done. Stay the course and remain confident, even when confronting the unknown.
Randy Pausch, the late Carnegie Mellon University professor, said, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand,” during an inspiring lecture not long before his passing. Pausch was communicating how important it is to make the most of a given situation. If you’ve been entrusted with a new position of leadership, rely upon your character and skill to move from the uncertainty of inherited circumstances toward a secure workplace that is fulfilling its potential.
