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On the High Wire

The Big Idea

Beginnings are always tough; first times, inexorably fussy. In this tremendously poignant book, Gunn and Gullickson relate the exigencies brought about by a spanking promotion at work. Both authors point to the experience of walking the high wire—venturing into the unknown without a safety net—as a seemingly disoriented stance of newly-appointed managers/leaders who confront the difficulty of transition into bigger responsibilities and who have qualms about their capabilities to pull off the new job. Explicit and equally provocative, the book is a pragmatic guide for people who have just advanced in the corporate ladder yet find themselves stumped and stuck in an eddy of self-doubt. It spurs optimism and assurance that the unknown can be unravelled, adapted to, and overcome. It inspires a new approach to leadership that goes beyond what a leader does: it is actually about becoming one.

 

Edginess Revisited: New Job, New Roles, New Responsibilities

Remember that nauseating anxiety you had to grapple with during your first day at work—that almost unappeasable disquiet horsing around your mind the moment heaps of technical reports and research proposals were handed in by your supervisor? You suddenly suffer incapacity—your brains empty and you are unable to act. Somewhere in your consciousness, you surprisingly dig up an idea of how to tinker with the paper load, but you are scared stiff to try. Promotion is not spared from these circumstances. To others, the feeling may even be worse.

Gunn and Gullickson used the metaphor of the high wire to describe what new managers/leaders go through as they step into a more complex (sometimes paralyzing) juncture in their careers. Assuming an increased share of responsibility involves a parallel inconvenience—“old” behaviour just won’t work anymore, yet there is fear in attempting a novel one. One trip and it would be disaster for the whole organization.

From being in the fringes, new managers/leaders move to the core and emerge with ever more expectations both from the higher-ups and their subordinates. They are expected to be somebody else, someone who juggles exceptional work together with excellent human relations, someone who knows “what to do” and “how to be”—someone who can make a difference.

Coming Into Bud: The Making of a (Fine) Leader

You wake up with a job promotion and you are never the same. You are uncomfortable, discouraged, petrified. A debilitating sense of unfamiliarity engulfs you and your intellectual powers if for the time being, bunged. You try to seek refuge in your erstwhile character not knowing that the script and the stage show itself had been changed. There now seems to be too much at stake vis-à-vis leadership roles and your personal life and your confusion leaves you hanging. How do you cope with this stalemate?

Rule # 1: Embrace Change with Conviction 

• Fear Not. Bigger responsibilities should neither overwhelm nor prevent you from taking bold action. Bear in mind that years of experience and acquired knowledge have in fact honed your expertise and prepared you for battle, the same reason that brought you exactly to where you are now. Cast off your inhibitions. You are in control. You will have a reasonably good start simply because you know your way around the business.

• Learn to Let Go. You should also remember that today’s challenge isn’t similar to yesterday’s. Frameworks which have shown results before may not do so now. When confronted with problems, clinging to old thinking habits may not be the prudent solution. Harbour alertness. Begin with a skilled assessment of your working environment, taking note of symptoms and what they mean and responding to them with great faith. Make use of your innate wisdom to know yourself and become attuned to it. Let faith open your doors to magnificent possibilities. . .

 

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