New leaders have a very short window to establish yourself as powerful, and in command. So it’s crucial for you to intentionally choose how you want to come across and act quickly to establish your presence. In this post, Dean explores the process of achieving this.
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There’s a very specific window for a new leader to establish themselves as bold, powerful, approachable, and worthy of being followed. I work with leaders on the presentation floor—big shareholder meetings, team meetings, and hybrid sessions where half the room is live and half is virtual. And they need to land with impact.
Often I’m brought in because they came in a little soft. That window to solidify your presence is roughly a year. If you come out of the gate strong, great. But even if you didn’t, you can still build to that higher level of power. People expect to see growth. They want to see change—and at the same time, they want continuity.
I encourage new leaders to think of it as finding a new orbit. You’ve stepped into leadership—it’s time to step up. The biggest obstacle is often internal resistance: resistance to being seen differently, or to occupying a more powerful space. But audiences need you to elevate. Your team needs you to be bold. They’re looking for someone strong enough to follow and warm enough to trust.
Magnetism comes from two poles: strength and approachability. These opposites create the pull that makes people want to follow you. Many leaders hesitate to share something powerful or personal in a high-stakes meeting. They worry they’ll choke up or that it’s too sensitive. But that vulnerability—that’s your South Pole.
Your North Pole is your strength: eye contact, presence, conviction. When you establish strength first, you earn the right to let people see the more sensitive side. Together, those two energies create the magnetic effect that makes leaders compelling.
If I had to choose only one trait, it would be strength. But that alone isn’t enough. The most effective leaders have both: the power that says “I’m worthy of following” and the sensitivity that says “I’m someone you want to follow.”
Do that within your first year, and you define your leadership identity. But be careful—once you leave the coaching bubble and step back in front of your team, you may feel the old pull to retreat into who you’ve always been. Resist that. This is the moment to rise to your higher orbit. Leadership demands it, and your team is waiting for it.
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