Most managers know the first 90 days matter. There are books about it, frameworks for it, and a built-in understanding that you are allowed to ask questions and make mistakes early on. What almost nobody talks about is what happens after that window closes.

Somewhere around the six-month mark, something shifts. Your boss is no longer evaluating your potential. They are evaluating your patterns. Your team has stopped wondering who you are and started noticing how you operate. Your peers are making decisions about whether you are someone who owns things or someone who needs approval before moving. And most managers are still running the playbook from month two.

In working with hundreds of leaders through their first year and beyond, Ramona has noticed three specific shifts that get overlooked or delayed past the six-month mark. These are the behaviors that separate leaders who are growing from leaders who are stalling, and none of them involve working harder.

In Episode 310 of The Manager Track, Ramona breaks down:

How checking in with your boss can quietly erode your authority, and how to tell the difference between collaboration and needing permission to move.
What strategic thinking actually looks like in daily practice during the first six months, and why waiting for someone to tell you to think bigger is a mistake.
Why being vague about how you lead costs you credibility, and a 4-question framework to make your expectations explicit.Y
The behind-the-scenes version of validation seeking that looks like smart stakeholder management but functions as a safety net.

If you have been in your role for a few months and you can feel the expectations shifting around you but you are not sure what to do differently, this episode gives you the moves.

Listen now on our Website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

Schedule a Leadership Strategy Call with Ramona https://calendly.com/ramonashaw/leadership-strategy-session
The Leadership Accelerator – 12-week cohort program for new and early-stage managers: archova.org/leadership-accelerator
Grab the free New Manager Toolkit mentioned in the episode: archova.org/freetoolkits
Learn how to turn your 1-on-1 meetings from time wasters, awkward moments, status updates, or non-existent into your most important and valuable meeting with your directs all week. Learn more at: http://archova.org/1on1-course
Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

OTHER EPISODES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Episode 298 - How to Build Trust Fast as a New Leader https://www.ramonashaw.com/new-managers-build-trust
Episode 106 - What Is Your Leadership Philosophy? https://www.ramonashaw.com/106-what-is-your-leadership-philosophy/

— WHAT’S NEXT? —

Learn more about our leadership development programs, coaching and workshops at archova.org.

Grab your copy of Ramona's best-selling book 'The Confident & Competent New Manager: How to Rapidly Rise to Success in Your First Leadership Role': amzn.to/3TuOdcP

Want to better understand your leadership style and patterns? Take our free quiz to discover your Manager Archetype and learn how to play to your strengths and uncover your blind spots: archova.org/quiz

Are you in your first manager role and don't want to mess it up? Watch our FREE Masterclass and discover the 4 shifts to become a leader people love to work for: archova.org/masterclass

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* Disclaimer: Shownotes may contain affiliate links. That means that I am awarded a small commission for purchases made through them, at no added cost to you.