Ask Sanyin: How Do I Escape the Specter of My Predecessor?

I’m new in a C-suite role and struggling with my predecessor’s long shadow — especially their great results and popularity with employees. How do I get my predecessor out of my head and stop second-guessing my decisions?

Chances are, you are not alone in this dilemma: The past year saw one of the highest rates of executive turnover in decades. Few new leaders start with a blank slate. You are wise to focus on how comparing yourself with your predecessor is affecting your confidence, rather than trying to win a popularity contest against a ghost. In my coaching and advisory work with CEOs and their successors, I’ve consistently found that leaders who transition effectively are able to resist the urge to overprove themselves by trying to show that they are the smartest person in the room.

As beloved as your predecessor is, you may be in this seat because they did all they could and have left you a foundation that you can take to the next level, or because now the organization needs you to be the change maker. This is a different phase for the organization, and therefore it requires a different combination of leadership assets. Ponder this introspective question suggested by former Microsoft U.S. CTO and TIAA board director Gina Loften: “What do you and the team that you are building bring to the table that is needed at this point in time?”

We tend to forget that context matters, and we attribute results to our individual strengths and weaknesses — what behavioral scientists call a fundamental attribution error. We allocate more credit (or blame) to the individual while overlooking contextual factors — a familiar trap that undermines our human capital analyses (and plays games with our self-image).

Consider the context you’re in and how your challenges differ from what your predecessor faced. Is the organization in a turnaround, growth, or global expansion stage? What does it need now, and what do you bring that makes you a fit for the role? Think beyond attributes such as your great network or depth of expertise in a specific area, and identify some particular talents the organization needs now that happen to be among your superpowers — say, the ability to get siloed teams to come together and work as part of a whole.

Focus on the mission ahead, but also remember that you’re continuing the story of the organization and thus can’t completely shake off the past. When you’re confident that you’re the right person for this job right now, you can be a better judge of what the former executive in the role left that you should preserve and build on, and what needs to change. If it’s appropriate, reach out to your predecessor. Juan Martin, CEO of Kind, and Hubert Joly, former CEO of Best Buy, both tapped their predecessors for advice and insights on the way to becoming transformative leaders for their companies.

Lastly, recognize that you are also adapting and evolving. There are things that you don’t yet know how to do well. And there may be latent superpowers that remain to be expressed. There are lessons that you will be excited to learn — and that’s the joy of the role. Over time, you will evolve, and the context will change. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t yet know how to do. Look forward to building on the foundation you’ve been given, with a team that you are cultivating, to achieve a vision that you believe in.