How Do I Define My New Role to Set Myself Up for Success? | Coaching Real Leaders

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**SPEAKER_2** (0:30)
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**Muriel Wilkins** (1:07)
I'm Muriel Wilkins, and this is Coaching Real Leaders, part of the HBR Podcast Network. I'm a longtime executive coach who works with highly successful leaders who've hit a bump in the road. My job is to help them get over that bump by clarifying their goals and figuring out a way to reach them, so that hopefully they can lead with a little more ease.
I typically work with clients over the course of several months, but on this show, we have a one-time coaching meeting focusing on a specific leadership challenge they're facing.
Today's guest is someone we'll call Jules to protect her confidentiality. She works in tech and a cross-functional operations role, and has led a number of teams. She didn't start out in this industry, but she transitioned into it when she made the leap of taking a role that was hugely confidential. She went through the interview process not really knowing what she'd be working on.

**Jules** (2:02)
I found my way into this industry by accepting a job, a very secret job, they wouldn't tell me what it was, but I thought it was exciting, took the job, and then that actually began my management career. So I was given the opportunity to start managing a team, and really absolutely loved it. And I really invested a lot in growing my leadership skills. And since then, I've really kind of built my identity and my brand around my ability to grow teams, to grow individuals, to make the teams really gel really well together, or feeling a sense of trust and community, as well as feeling like they have a sense of purpose by connecting their work to the bigger picture.

**Muriel Wilkins** (2:44)
Jules developed a knack for leadership, and in particular, a reputation for leading and growing teams.
It's something she became quite experienced in and passionate about since she took that first job and has built her career around it. But times change and companies shift, and as a result, she finds herself in a transition moment.

**Jules** (3:04)
Our whole department moved to another part of the company, and then my team is currently potentially shrinking, my role is shrinking. However, the leadership has come to me and said, we recognize you're an amazing leader, we want to utilize you more, what do you want to do?

**Muriel Wilkins** (3:25)
Jules has been given what to many people would be the opportunity of a lifetime, to build her dream role from scratch. She's proven herself as a leader, but in the midst of a lot of changes at the company, she's looking for a bit of guidance as to where to even begin defining her new role. So there's clearly a great opportunity for her here.
But I start by asking her why she's also viewing this as a challenge.

**Jules** (3:55)
I haven't been in a situation quite like this, where I feel like... I'm Arch Manning.

**SPEAKER_3** (4:01)
I'm Madison Skinner. I'm Eva Jovich.

**SPEAKER_6** (4:03)
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**Jules** (4:43)
I actually hold all the cards.