One of my nieces is visiting this week (love you, Kaitlyn!). She just turned 21. Ahhh to be young….. Actually, now that I think about it, not really. But it does bring back memories of discovering my limits when I was around that age.
Things like: How much autonomy do I really have from my parents? How much can I drink? How much studying do I really need to do for that test? How much can I work and still be able to go to school? At that age, there are all sorts of limits to be discovered.
As a new executive, you have a similar road to travel on discovering your limits. Of course, if you are an executive, you have already spent a fair amount of time defining and discovering the limits around your career. But as you transition to the executive payroll, there are new limits to discover.
For example, you will have to discover how much authority you actually have. Intuitively you know that you are granted additional authorities when you are promoted. The problem is…. How much? Unfortunately you will only discover the answer to this question by trial and error. Yes, you can define authority limits with your boss up front. But believe me, things change. You can make a decision one day that you believe is wholly within the limits of your authority…. Only to be chastised by your boss the next day for doing it. The limits probably didn’t shift overnight. Instead you and your boss didn’t clearly delineate all limits. Not surprising, as it would be impossible to do.
You will find many more instances of defining limits as you progress in your executive career. Fortunately, unlike the 21 year old discovering the limits of alcohol, you won’t likely face a life-threatening situation. However, you will face many career-threatening situations.
My advice? Be deliberate. Think your choices through. Don’t back away from the perceived limit. But don’t barge ahead with your head down and your senses shut off.
Cheers!
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