Leadersland

By Nic Heavey and Nicole Morris

Stepping into a new leadership role can be like entering uncharted territory, filled with challenges and uncertainties. In this must read guide new leaders will discover proven strategies and practical tips for navigating the sometimes tumultuous landscape of management. From effective communication to team building and conflict resolution, this book equips you with the tools you need to lead with confidence and success.

wheather your a seasoned professional or just starting out, this book is your roadmap to becoming a respected and admired leader in any organisation 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole Morris
• Release date: Jun 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798227663337

Book preview

A handbook for ‘New Leaders’ to navigate the storms of the workplace landscape; and build amazing teams!

CHAPTER TOPICS

1. So you’ve been given the opportunity to lead? Awesome! Amazing! Now what?

Welcome to the team!

2. Why new leaders may become overwhelmed or experience that ‘deer in the headlight moment’ repeatedly and how to remain calm in ALL the storms

3. Knowing self is key to knowing your team

4. understanding your team

5. Leading should feel like playing your favourite Team sport, challenging, rewarding and FUN

6. Simple ways to build up your team

7. designing your dream team

8. Communication is best

9.  momentum magic and bringing growth

10. Leading your team to success

TITLE - LEADERSLAND

Chapter 1.

So,  you’ve been given the opportunity to lead something?

A team?

A project?

An exhibition into the wilds of an African Safari?

Awesome!

Amazing!

Now what?

Great question!

This is the part where I say, welcome,  New Leader, you are now entering Leadersland!

This here is a new world you have found yourself in, yes, full of beautiful landscapes, but also crazy storm weather; which can sometimes see you turned around; going in strange directions or just plain baffled at which way to go next.

What I am here to do, new leader, is be a compass, a tool kit, simply put, to provide you with a map to navigate this new unknown terrain.

How do you know I can help?

Because I arrived here too, not so long ago myself, and while I may not have all the answers (not even most of the answers really), what I can tell you is this...... this is the book I wish someone would have handed me when I first started leading a team, managing a group of individuals, all the little things I wish someone had told me; or mentioned through the process of becoming a new but more importantly, an effective leader.

I had been working for no more than 6 months in a new industry (the disability sector) and I was absolutely loving it.

I was being paid to assist people to live their best lives.

Epic.

A part of that was to support the clients to access the community, support them in the home or to socially engage and interact with others or assist them to reach goals that they set for themselves.

Which sounds pretty cool, right?

Well what that meant on a day to day for me, in one instance, was that I got to take a bunch of people to a location that we had all chosen together (sometimes we argued about this), hang out, do activities like shopping, playing Frisbee and kicking a soccer ball around.

All I kept thinking was, seriously?

I’m being paid to play Frisbee right now?

Drink coffee and just chat with people?

That's amazing.

Also I wondered, what kind of twilight zone is this?

Now don't get me wrong, it wasn't all blue skies and sunshine,  there were other not so pleasant tasks too.

Having to help people go to the bathroom, make sure they took medications and sometimes even chase down a person who likes to run in the wild, but that was also not that challenging (single mum of 3 runner kids, I can keep up, out run and dress people on the fly if needed, skills building right?).

The fact that I loved what I was doing, was fortunately noticed by people that I consider to be the powers that be (the ones who paid my wages).

I wasn't planning on it being noticed, but after 13 years in customer service, on my feet, constantly on the go, it was a change of pace that I wasn't expecting at all.

But was absolutely a step in the right direction career wise.

My boss at the time came up to me and said that there was going to be some adjustments to the office structure coming up and would I be interested in learning more of the administration side of the business?

Was I?

Sure, why not?

A few weeks later, I entered an interview, which I didn't even realise was an interview. a random conversation and a couple of interesting questions asked. 

Then placed in front of me was on organisational structure chart with all the available positions that would become open in the upcoming months.

My manager asked if there was an area in particular that I would be interested in?

I think I was only supposed to circle one box, but instead I circled an entire area, (well I was interested in the area and I liked that there was a clear career path presented there).

My boss noticed that I had circled the managers box and said, hey you just circled that box, are you interested in managing?

Er, um, I was a little nervous and back peddled pretty quick, at what I thought had been a professional faux pas ah maybe in the years to come when I had the experience, but not now I’m just interested in the area her response was as follows, what if it was in a few weeks, rather than a few years?

Say what?

Me, a manager?

I looked around the room just to check she was talking to me, me, manage a team?

In an area I knew next to nothing about?

Crickey! (which may or may not have been a different expletive in my head) 

She followed up with another question is there any reason why you think you couldn't do it?

My total lack of experience for one?

I don't know policies or procedures or processes, shit I didn't even know what the managers did.

Could I be a manager? I would be responsible for things I know nothing about.

Crap did I just say any of that out loud?

Only the first sentence, thankfully.

My boss mentioned that I could take some time to think on it, but if I was offered the position and on the job training, could I potentially, for 12 months at least, consider taking on the task?

Well shit, I don't know?

Could I?

Well, why the heck not?

My whole world had changed in the last 6 months already, why not this too?

Uni degree, new job, in a new career, an opportunity to be a manager, a leader, wait, what?

A leader?

Where did that come from?

What does a manager even do?

Oh right, I already asked that question.

What was I afraid of?

That I am about to step on toes?

The very people who hired me, I would become their boss?

That would be weird, can you say... awkward?

How was I going to accomplish that?

What if people hated me?

What if I sucked?

What if I ruined the business?

What if I ruined lives?

But what if I said yes?

How cool to be asked. 

Lets take a step back first, we will go back in time a little, let me share how all the change even came to be.

I was Living and breathing customer service and running on autopilot most of the time.

You ever have those moments, when you can see a glimpse into your future and realise that at some point you may have taken a wrong turn?

I was working at one of the biggest food distribution companies in Australia on the checkouts, I knew I did my job with ease, I ran on auto pilot, because I had lived this customer service life for such a long time that it was a natural fit; and it didn't require that much of my brain power to get the job done. Smile, how is your day, did you have your rewards card and would you like a bag with that?

Ah, the simple life.

What I did notice was that the supervisors and managers that I answered to, were not so happy or content in their role; always overly stressed; never easy to laugh or smile; and definitely wouldn't be the type to let themselves or you slack off for a second.

If you weren't serving a customer, you were cleaning, if you weren't cleaning you were restocking and if you weren't restocking you were heading out to back dock to see what they needed.

There was always something to do and yet I watched these supervisors, it became clear that these people were in this job for life, because they had already spent decades in this role, and their attitude was I’ll always have a job, because everyone has to eat.

Watching them and wondering to myself, is that my future?

To become what I dubbed ‘a lifer’ in this industry.

To be unhappy?

To be a type of manager or supervisor that could put others to work, while also working myself to death?

I realised in that moment that I wanted a whole lot more than that, for myself, but also for my family.

That week I signed up to go back to uni.

A plot twist and a piece of paper later I got a degree (academia was not necessarily needed but a change of mindset was definitely in order) I had reached a point in my life, where in order for change to occur, something had to change.

Logical right?

I did go on to receive my Bachelor in Social Sciences (getting a degree is a whole other book I would say) I was ready to start somewhere, jump into a new area, with new purpose.

The time for change was here, between getting a degree, I also was having my 3rd baby and watching as my10 year relationship was breaking down around me.

My partner at the time was no longer happy, I was no longer happy either, and we had both said that we would give it time to see if we could change out of this together. 

Unfortunately, after 2 years, nothing had improved or really progressed, in order for growth and change we would have to go our separate ways.

Not the easiest of things to do when you you have 2 young kids and a new born.

I was now a single parent with 3 kids (shit I had become my mother!!!!! Love you mum!).

I was on job seekers, I hadn't been previously, I had always worked, to have to ask for help, a thirty something year old woman with a degree didn't know where to start?

What I now refer to as operation ‘start over’ was in full effect.

I was on a mission, to get a job, any job, that wasn't in customer services.

A job where I got to sit down sometimes would be great.

For a while my world became about resumes, applications to new jobs, job interviews, with panels of people asking questions that I just didn't know how to answer, yet.

So here I was, ready to start this new journey into an unknown world that I just wasn't prepared for.

Little did I know, I was embarking on a journey that would change my life forever.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon an interview for a disability support worker position and somehow I managed to get the job.

I breathed a little easier that day knowing that my bills would actually get paid. (living below the poverty line is also another book to write sometime, unpleasant but also real enough to open your eyes to a lot).

Poverty is a silent struggle, one that often reminds me of a drowning experience, you may be screaming but no one can hear you there, and as as such a taboo subject often it goes unseen as well.

Hidden behind a best fake smile

But enough of that darkness. 

Where was I?

Yeah right, new career, new industry, new start, OK.

Flash forward 6 months later and I was placed at a desk, in front of a screen, here's your team, OK, go. (Holy crow!)

WELCOME TO LEADERSHIP!

Right about now is where I started to panic,  I was a front line worker, always had been, me manage a team of people?

Were they crazy?

Was I crazy?

Was I ready?

What was I thinking?

Self doubt is a sabotaging bitch that wont quit sometimes.

There are moments in life, when fear can completely cripple you, undo you, you freeze, or run, or simply draw a blank.

Its in times like these to call in your support network, I talked to my parents, to my friends, asked there opinion, my sisters, thought if nothing else, it would be funny to watch me try and manage people (fully supportive are my sisters, love you!).

But they too, even said to go for it, and my older sister said to call her if I needed to vent, rant or cry.

That was not so encouraging but she also gave me the courage to say yes.

Was I afraid?

Absolutely!

Was I terrified of the unknown?

Yes.

Did I feel like an impostor?

Again yes.

And this is what this book is about.

Its about taking that leap, that jump into the unknown, but also giving you the tools I wish someone had given me to take that step with a smile on your face and a glint in your eye.

What I do wish, looking back, is that it would have been great if someone was there just to let me know that these feelings of anxiety, were perfectly normal.

The fear and uncertainty is a completely expected reaction, and not to worry, as it wont last forever, in fact, it wont last for more than a month (2 tops).

As you learn what