They put you in the top job because you’re the right person to deliver.

The “buck stops with you”

That means you can’t rely on others when it comes to making the big decisions.

Anyway, colleagues will have their own agendas.

You’re the only one responsible for the whole country’s best interests, so no point in sharing information with them.

You need to appear self-confident, decisive and knowledgeable. To hit the ground ( running) , you announce some really bold decisions to show that you know what needs to be done.

This is one of the "Myths of Management" that many leaders mistakenly believe to be true, as described by Stefan Stern and Cary Cooper in their book of the same name.

But whatever you do, if you act like you believe you know best, you’ve missed a very important step.

To successfully lead, you have to start by building mutual trust and respect with your senior team.

Taking key decisions without consulting them, means you could set a disastrous course, partially sighted, misguided, in-extremis, resulting in a major damage limitation reversal.

As ex-UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss’s chaotic 44 days in office has proved.

What’s your view?

If reading this has challenged or inspired you to or you want to explore this some more arrange a conversation with me.

2nd November, 2022