Getting Promoted Ahead of Your Peers

A work promotion should feel like a celebratory milestone, but an icy reception may await when you advance to roles that involve managing your peers. When friends suddenly have to report to you, they may criticize your leadership skills, question your qualifications or exclude you from recreational activities. Work relationships should evolve after promotions, but you can reduce conflict by establishing yourself as an authority who cares about the success and well-being of your peers.

Clear the Air

You can't predict how co-workers may react when the boss announces your promotion, so mentally prepare yourself for the possibility that close friends may not be happy for you. Resist the urge to react with anger or avoidance, and consider the perspectives of your peers. Friends may feel short-changed if they competed for the same position or develop misplaced resentment toward you if they missed out on promotions in the past.

Meet with new reports one-on-one to address their concerns, and encourage them to continue being open with you. Don't grovel, but make it clear that you want to lead a productive team and are open to any feedback that can ease the transition. Showing strong leadership skills in the early stages sets a positive tone for your future interactions.

Set Clear Expectations

The last thing you want to do is confirm that your leadership skills aren't adequate for your new role. Your job is to make decisions that benefit workflow, so don't withdraw and simply let things continue "as is" because you're afraid of taking charge. Review what is expected of each employee, and find out whether any departmental policies are hindering workflow. Take time to make careful observations before implementing drastic changes, and show that you are fair and trustworthy by avoiding favoritism.

Establish Boundaries

Providing equal treatment and starting with a clean state are essential when managing your peers. Don't hold grudges against any co-workers for past habits, and distribute your time and support equally throughout your team, rather than focusing on your friends. Hold everyone to the same standards, and accept the reality that distancing yourself from peers may mean receiving fewer invitations to recreational events.

If you do spend time with colleagues outside of work, remember to maintain your professional composure and avoid bad-mouthing other employees. Stress and frustration are inevitable, so build your own network of mentors and peers outside of work for supportive advice and tips on fine-tuning your leadership skills.

Be Humble and Transparent

To achieve long-term success, your team must respect you and feel empowered by your guidance. While it is important to lead with confidence, don't overdo it by micromanaging your co-workers or behaving as though your solutions are automatically better than everyone else's. Let others know what to expect from you, and live up to those standards. Instead of wasting time defending your promotion or leadership skills, show your peers that you work hard to make improvements and hold yourself accountable for team setbacks.

The true test of great leadership skills is knowing how to inspire your peers and extract the most potential from the collective ideas of the team. Pay attention to employees' strengths, weaknesses and work styles, so you can effectively delegate tasks and promote a culture of teamwork throughout the company.

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