When adding a new fish to an aquarium, you can’t just plop the poor thing in and expect it to survive. First, you have to let the new fish acclimate to its surroundings, and make sure the fish that are already there accept the new arrival as well. Only then can you let it join the group safely.

The same principles apply when bringing a new leader onto an established team.

Whether transferring a manager from one team to another or hiring on a brand new manager to take over a team that’s been working together for some time now, changes to leadership can make serious waves amongst the workforce if not handled carefully.

People don’t generally like change to begin with, even more so when it involves authority. Any team that’s worked together long enough to overcome challenges and develop a culture is likely to be resistant and suspicious of an outsider stepping in and assuming control over them, especially when new leaders instantly take command and make major changes without first learning the team’s dynamics.

I understand new leaders want to quickly deliver results to the people who put them in charge, but rushing through this sort of transition is more likely to cause problems than anything else, and severe disruptions may actually lead to them losing their job instead of advancing their career. There’s a significant difference between being able to develop plans and strategies that are beneficial for the company and being able to lead a team to implement them, you need to earn your team’s trust before you can expect them to follow you, and that’s what I’d like to go over in this blog.

So, if you want to make the most of your team, you must first find your place amongst them. I don’t just mean in terms of positions or skillsets, I mean get to know them. Learn their individual strengths and weaknesses, find out what they feel works well in the company and what issues they feel go unresolved. Doing so will earn the team’s trust and help you build rapport, so they will be more accepting of your authority and input.

If you can learn the unwritten rules of the team, if you can take note of any hierarchy at play or if people are taking on or performing duties outside their assigned roles, you’ll be better equipped to immerse yourself in their culture. Yes, your job is to improve their performance, and that may mean making changes to how they do things, but you must respect their current structure before making any attempts to change it. See where it works and where it doesn’t, then slowly but surely begin making adjustments to it.



Right then, now that we know why you need to familiarize yourself with your team, let’s go over how you can do it.

Having one-on-one meetings with team members is a good way to get to know them and their work, but make sure you go into these meetings with an open mind and approachable nature, avoid being judgmental or assertive. This is not the time to be establishing your authority, this is your chance to give the team a good impression of you and show them you are here to help make their work easier and more efficient. When done properly, this will make them more open to communicating problems and concerns with you, which will help you develop the best solutions.

During your research, try to learn how the team has failed and succeeded before you came on board. Find out how they’ve reacted to these outcomes, such as how they’ve celebrated accomplishments and how they’ve pushed themselves to overcome missteps. Keep this information in mind when setting up your own ways of congratulating the team, as well as when tailoring your feedback for individual team members.

After all that analysis, smart leaders will use what they’ve learned about the team to gauge how quickly they can begin implementing necessary changes. Ideally, they will begin by making small changes spread out over a period of time, paying close attention to how the team reacts and using these observations to further adjust their schedule of changes moving forward.

It may not be quick, it may not be easy, but it will yield the best results.

Each situation will be unique, but the same principles will always apply: be patient, humble, and open to feedback. Show them you’re willing to learn about how they work before you go stepping in with ideas on how to make them work better. It took time and tests for them to become a team, so it will take the same for you to become a part of it. However, if you can earn your place amongst them, they will happily follow your lead.