April 16, 2025 • 13 mins
If we're not in leadership for the title, how do we effectively face the challenges that come with transitioning into and through different levels of positional authority?
In this episode, we talk through the main challenges faced by compassionate, driven leaders in these situations and provide practical ideas for addressing them.
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Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-m-schmidt/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Teri Schmidt (00:00):
Welcome back to Strong Leaders Serve.
I'm Terry Schmidt, your host andexecutive and leadership coach
at Strong Leaders Serve, wherewe work with compassionate
driven leaders to transformpotential into performance.
And one of the most overlookedchallenges, particularly for
compassionate driven leaders,are those times where we shift
(00:22):
into positional authority.
This may happen the first timeyou get into a formal leadership
role, or it may happen when yourresponsibilities shift a bit and
you have to rely a little bitmore on positional authority
than maybe influence like you'reused to and more comfortable
with If you've ever felt likestepping into a formal
(00:43):
leadership role or a newdimension of your leadership
role made you second guess, yourinstincts struggle with
delegation or suddenly feel morealone than this episodes for
you.
So let's get into it.
(01:53):
Okay, so today we're gonna talkabout four challenges that come
along with these kind of shiftsin your positional authority.
The first one is about the wordand the concept of power itself.
The second one has to do withbelonging and how it can get
complicated through theseshifts.
(02:14):
The third one is about one ofour favorites, one that we talk
about frequently on this podcastdelegation, and the fourth one
is about discomfort aroundpeople, valuing your voice over
all the other voices in theroom.
So let's start with that firstone.
When we hear the word power, itoften doesn't sit right,
(02:36):
especially for those of us whogot into leadership to make a
difference not to be in charge.
I.
In the Power Code caddy.
Kay and Claire Shipman talkabout how many women in
particular, and actually I'lladd many values driven leaders
in general, define powerdifferently.
It's not about domination orcontrol, it's about the ability
(02:59):
to make a positive impact.
Now that sounds great in theoryand it really is a great book.
I highly recommend you gettingit, but let's talk about in
practice.
I.
Stepping into authority oftenmeans being perceived as the
final decision maker, and thatcan make you hesitant to claim
your voice or role fully becauseyou don't wanna seem domineering
(03:20):
or self-important.
But I've found with myself andwith my clients, one small
mindset shift that has reallyhelped is instead of seeing
power as something you take fromothers.
See it as something you use forothers.
When you offer direction or seta boundary, you're not grabbing
(03:41):
the spotlight, you're clearing apath.
You're bringing clarity to otherpeople's work and like we've
talked about in recent weeks,you're advocating for their
success.
That shift from I'm not takingup space to I'm making space can
be powerful in itself.
(04:02):
Now the second factor that wetalked about is belonging.
Now, this is one of the mostcommon pain points when you've
been promoted from within ateam.
Your relationships change andit's not just awkward, it's
actually biologicallyuncomfortable because our brains
are wired to seek belonging.
Research shows that when we areexcluded socially, the same
(04:26):
parts of our brains activate aswhen we're in physical pain.
So when we go from peer to boss,that shift can feel like a
threat, not just to others, butto our own nervous systems.
You might hesitate to enforce apolicy or give feedback because
you're worried about damagingthe relationship.
One client of mine described itas leading with one foot on the
(04:48):
brake, and you know that's notgood practice when you're
driving.
It's not good practice whenyou're leading either, but what
helps is naming it.
You can literally say to yourteam, I know my role has
changed, and that can feeldifferent.
But my respect for you hasn't,and I'm committed to being clear
(05:08):
and fair, even if it takes sometime.
Getting used to often, myclients have found that it's
really helpful to haveone-on-one meetings with each of
your former peers who are nowreporting directly to you.
You can talk through and lay outon the table the awkwardness
that might ensue, and you canalso bring up potential future
(05:30):
situations and each talk abouthow you might handle them now
that you're in your new roles.
That can be incredibly helpfuldown the road when those
situations actually do arise.
You don't have to pretend thatthe shift isn't there.
In fact, I would say that is theworst strategy.
Instead, acknowledging it outloud can actually rebuild a
(05:51):
sense of trust much faster thanavoiding it ever will.
Now, the third factor that makesthis identity shift into
positional authority sochallenging is that it requires
you to hone your skills ofdelegation.
And as we've talked aboutbefore, it is not all about
(06:11):
figuring out what your zone ofgenius is and then making a list
of everything that other peopleshould be doing instead of you,
because it's not in your zone ofgenius.
Of course, that is very helpful,but it is not enough because
delegation doesn't justchallenge your time, it
challenges your identity.
and as we've talked aboutbefore, delegation involves
(06:35):
loss.
If you're used to being the onewho solves the problem, checks
the box, or saves the day,handing off tasks can feel
uncomfortable.
Even unmotivating, there's abrain-based reason for that.
Finishing a task actually givesyou a little hit of dopamine.
When you delegate, your braindoesn't get that same rush.
(06:57):
At least not right away.
A quick tip, I offer leaders inthis boat create a delegation
dashboard.
Pick one project you'vedelegated and track the moments.
When your team member succeedsan idea they had a deadline,
they hit a lesson they learned.
Let their wins become yourreward system that helps rewire
(07:21):
your brain to associatesatisfaction with growth.
Not just with completion.
And if you're worried aboutmicromanaging, have a
conversation at the beginning ofthe project with your team
member.
And ask them explicitly, whatdoes support look like for you
on this right away?
That will shift the conversationfrom control to partnership.
(07:43):
And finally, the fourthchallenge that can make this
shift into positional authority,particularly difficult, has to
do with the fact that.
All of a sudden your voice mayseem to matter more than others
in the room, you're likely gonnabe a little bit alarmed when
people suddenly defer to you.
You share an idea and the roomquiets, or you say just a
(08:06):
thought, and the next thing youknow, it seems like it was a
directive.
This can make you cautious,almost too cautious.
You might soften your opinions,overuse, qualifiers, or second
guess your authority.
The way through isn't to swingthe other way and declare every
decision with finality.
Instead, try being explicitabout how decisions are being
(08:29):
made and who the decision makerwill be, for example.
You might say, I wanna heareveryone's thoughts before we
land on anything, and then we'llmake a decision by consensus.
Or if it's not a situation whereyou're making decision by
consensus, and you're gonna bemaking that decision state
upfront, what you are gonna bedoing with that input that you
(08:51):
get from everyone else, howyou'll be considering it and how
you will use it to make thatdecision.
Another statement that you canuse is, I'm leaning toward this
direction, but I'm open tohearing what I'm missing.
That communicates to people thatyou're seeking their input to
help you realize what some ofyour blind spots are, but that
(09:11):
you do have an opinion goinginto the situation with either
of those statements, you'restill leading.
But you're doing it with clarityand intention, and you're doing
it in a way that everyone knowsexactly what their role is in
that particular decision.
So they don't feel like they'rejust offering input for no
purpose, because you'reultimately gonna make the
(09:34):
decision and do what you wannado anyway.
Now.
These aren't the only challengesthat are gonna face you as you
step into or transform the waythat you are leading from a
place of positional authority.
but they're the biggest ones.
And if there's anything I wantyou to take away from this.
It's what I work with my clientson frequently.
(09:56):
And what we also talk about onthis podcast frequently, and
that is stepping into leadershipdoesn't mean you have to become
someone else.
Stepping into a higher level ofleadership does not mean you
have to be become somebody else,but it does require a shift, a
rebalancing of how you connect,how you contribute, and how you
(10:18):
communicate.
So as you go forward in yourweek this week.
I challenge you.
Think about what's one momentwhen you notice discomfort in
your leadership role?
Maybe it wasn't giving feedback,speaking up, or letting go write
that down and think about whatis underneath that discomfort.
(10:42):
Is it because your belonging isbeing threatened?
Or because you are having toexpress power in a way that
isn't comfortable for you andyou haven't yet done that
mindset shift of instead ofpower over having power two, or
maybe it's the fact that youjust really want to do that
task.
(11:02):
And you know, you could do thattask a lot faster and even
better than the person you'regiving it to, whatever the cause
of that discomfort is.
The next step is to think whatmight shift if you saw that
discomfort as part of yourgrowth and not a sign that
you're doing it wrong.
You are not alone in this.
(11:23):
Every leader I work with,especially the compassionate
driven ones, hit these sameroadblocks and every one of them
can move through it with clarityand support.
In case you wanna dig deeperinto this, some related episodes
you might enjoy are episode one12 titled From Peer to Leader,
navigating the Transition.
(11:45):
In episode 1 53, are you a dino,a delegator in name only.
And remember, I'm here for you.
If there's anything I can do tosupport you as you go through
these transitions in yourleadership, please reach out on
LinkedIn.
I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for listening, and Ihope you have a wonderful week
(12:07):
where you realize how valuableyou are to your team, to your
organization, to ourcommunities.
And to our world in your role asa compassionate driven leader.
Welcome back to Strong Leaders Serve.
I'm Terry Schmidt, your host andexecutive and leadership coach
at Strong Leaders Serve, wherewe work with compassionate
driven leaders to transformpotential into performance.
And one of the most overlookedchallenges, particularly for
compassionate driven leaders,are those times where we shift
(00:22):
into positional authority.
This may happen the first timeyou get into a formal leadership
role, or it may happen when yourresponsibilities shift a bit and
you have to rely a little bitmore on positional authority
than maybe influence like you'reused to and more comfortable
with If you've ever felt likestepping into a formal
(00:43):
leadership role or a newdimension of your leadership
role made you second guess, yourinstincts struggle with
delegation or suddenly feel morealone than this episodes for
you.
So let's get into it.
(01:53):
Okay, so today we're gonna talkabout four challenges that come
along with these kind of shiftsin your positional authority.
The first one is about the wordand the concept of power itself.
The second one has to do withbelonging and how it can get
complicated through theseshifts.
(02:14):
The third one is about one ofour favorites, one that we talk
about frequently on this podcastdelegation, and the fourth one
is about discomfort aroundpeople, valuing your voice over
all the other voices in theroom.
So let's start with that firstone.
When we hear the word power, itoften doesn't sit right,
(02:36):
especially for those of us whogot into leadership to make a
difference not to be in charge.
I.
In the Power Code caddy.
Kay and Claire Shipman talkabout how many women in
particular, and actually I'lladd many values driven leaders
in general, define powerdifferently.
It's not about domination orcontrol, it's about the ability
(02:59):
to make a positive impact.
Now that sounds great in theoryand it really is a great book.
I highly recommend you gettingit, but let's talk about in
practice.
I.
Stepping into authority oftenmeans being perceived as the
final decision maker, and thatcan make you hesitant to claim
your voice or role fully becauseyou don't wanna seem domineering
(03:20):
or self-important.
But I've found with myself andwith my clients, one small
mindset shift that has reallyhelped is instead of seeing
power as something you take fromothers.
See it as something you use forothers.
When you offer direction or seta boundary, you're not grabbing
(03:41):
the spotlight, you're clearing apath.
You're bringing clarity to otherpeople's work and like we've
talked about in recent weeks,you're advocating for their
success.
That shift from I'm not takingup space to I'm making space can
be powerful in itself.
(04:02):
Now the second factor that wetalked about is belonging.
Now, this is one of the mostcommon pain points when you've
been promoted from within ateam.
Your relationships change andit's not just awkward, it's
actually biologicallyuncomfortable because our brains
are wired to seek belonging.
Research shows that when we areexcluded socially, the same
(04:26):
parts of our brains activate aswhen we're in physical pain.
So when we go from peer to boss,that shift can feel like a
threat, not just to others, butto our own nervous systems.
You might hesitate to enforce apolicy or give feedback because
you're worried about damagingthe relationship.
One client of mine described itas leading with one foot on the
(04:48):
brake, and you know that's notgood practice when you're
driving.
It's not good practice whenyou're leading either, but what
helps is naming it.
You can literally say to yourteam, I know my role has
changed, and that can feeldifferent.
But my respect for you hasn't,and I'm committed to being clear
(05:08):
and fair, even if it takes sometime.
Getting used to often, myclients have found that it's
really helpful to haveone-on-one meetings with each of
your former peers who are nowreporting directly to you.
You can talk through and lay outon the table the awkwardness
that might ensue, and you canalso bring up potential future
(05:30):
situations and each talk abouthow you might handle them now
that you're in your new roles.
That can be incredibly helpfuldown the road when those
situations actually do arise.
You don't have to pretend thatthe shift isn't there.
In fact, I would say that is theworst strategy.
Instead, acknowledging it outloud can actually rebuild a
(05:51):
sense of trust much faster thanavoiding it ever will.
Now, the third factor that makesthis identity shift into
positional authority sochallenging is that it requires
you to hone your skills ofdelegation.
And as we've talked aboutbefore, it is not all about
(06:11):
figuring out what your zone ofgenius is and then making a list
of everything that other peopleshould be doing instead of you,
because it's not in your zone ofgenius.
Of course, that is very helpful,but it is not enough because
delegation doesn't justchallenge your time, it
challenges your identity.
and as we've talked aboutbefore, delegation involves
(06:35):
loss.
If you're used to being the onewho solves the problem, checks
the box, or saves the day,handing off tasks can feel
uncomfortable.
Even unmotivating, there's abrain-based reason for that.
Finishing a task actually givesyou a little hit of dopamine.
When you delegate, your braindoesn't get that same rush.
(06:57):
At least not right away.
A quick tip, I offer leaders inthis boat create a delegation
dashboard.
Pick one project you'vedelegated and track the moments.
When your team member succeedsan idea they had a deadline,
they hit a lesson they learned.
Let their wins become yourreward system that helps rewire
(07:21):
your brain to associatesatisfaction with growth.
Not just with completion.
And if you're worried aboutmicromanaging, have a
conversation at the beginning ofthe project with your team
member.
And ask them explicitly, whatdoes support look like for you
on this right away?
That will shift the conversationfrom control to partnership.
(07:43):
And finally, the fourthchallenge that can make this
shift into positional authority,particularly difficult, has to
do with the fact that.
All of a sudden your voice mayseem to matter more than others
in the room, you're likely gonnabe a little bit alarmed when
people suddenly defer to you.
You share an idea and the roomquiets, or you say just a
(08:06):
thought, and the next thing youknow, it seems like it was a
directive.
This can make you cautious,almost too cautious.
You might soften your opinions,overuse, qualifiers, or second
guess your authority.
The way through isn't to swingthe other way and declare every
decision with finality.
Instead, try being explicitabout how decisions are being
(08:29):
made and who the decision makerwill be, for example.
You might say, I wanna heareveryone's thoughts before we
land on anything, and then we'llmake a decision by consensus.
Or if it's not a situation whereyou're making decision by
consensus, and you're gonna bemaking that decision state
upfront, what you are gonna bedoing with that input that you
(08:51):
get from everyone else, howyou'll be considering it and how
you will use it to make thatdecision.
Another statement that you canuse is, I'm leaning toward this
direction, but I'm open tohearing what I'm missing.
That communicates to people thatyou're seeking their input to
help you realize what some ofyour blind spots are, but that
(09:11):
you do have an opinion goinginto the situation with either
of those statements, you'restill leading.
But you're doing it with clarityand intention, and you're doing
it in a way that everyone knowsexactly what their role is in
that particular decision.
So they don't feel like they'rejust offering input for no
purpose, because you'reultimately gonna make the
(09:34):
decision and do what you wannado anyway.
Now.
These aren't the only challengesthat are gonna face you as you
step into or transform the waythat you are leading from a
place of positional authority.
but they're the biggest ones.
And if there's anything I wantyou to take away from this.
It's what I work with my clientson frequently.
(09:56):
And what we also talk about onthis podcast frequently, and
that is stepping into leadershipdoesn't mean you have to become
someone else.
Stepping into a higher level ofleadership does not mean you
have to be become somebody else,but it does require a shift, a
rebalancing of how you connect,how you contribute, and how you
(10:18):
communicate.
So as you go forward in yourweek this week.
I challenge you.
Think about what's one momentwhen you notice discomfort in
your leadership role?
Maybe it wasn't giving feedback,speaking up, or letting go write
that down and think about whatis underneath that discomfort.
(10:42):
Is it because your belonging isbeing threatened?
Or because you are having toexpress power in a way that
isn't comfortable for you andyou haven't yet done that
mindset shift of instead ofpower over having power two, or
maybe it's the fact that youjust really want to do that
task.
(11:02):
And you know, you could do thattask a lot faster and even
better than the person you'regiving it to, whatever the cause
of that discomfort is.
The next step is to think whatmight shift if you saw that
discomfort as part of yourgrowth and not a sign that
you're doing it wrong.
You are not alone in this.
(11:23):
Every leader I work with,especially the compassionate
driven ones, hit these sameroadblocks and every one of them
can move through it with clarityand support.
In case you wanna dig deeperinto this, some related episodes
you might enjoy are episode one12 titled From Peer to Leader,
navigating the Transition.
(11:45):
In episode 1 53, are you a dino,a delegator in name only.
And remember, I'm here for you.
If there's anything I can do tosupport you as you go through
these transitions in yourleadership, please reach out on
LinkedIn.
I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for listening, and Ihope you have a wonderful week
(12:07):
where you realize how valuableyou are to your team, to your
organization, to ourcommunities.
And to our world in your role asa compassionate driven leader.
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