By Dr. Kevin Hatcher

Kevin Hatcher, EdD, is the Director of Athletics at California State University-San Bernardino. He is the former Senior Associate Athletic Director at Colgate University and Associate Athletic Director at the University of Texas-El Paso. He can be reached at: khatcher@csusb.edu.

This fall, one of my career goals was fulfilled when I became Director of Athletics at California State University-San Bernardino. After having served as an assistant and associate athletic director for many years, I was ready and eager to be in charge of an athletic department on my own.

My first week was fantastic. During my first day on the job, the women's volleyball team won its conference tournament and we were told we would be hosting the NCAA Division II regionals. A few days later, the men's basketball team beat a Division I squad during a tournament, earning a matchup against UCLA on national television.

The next week, reality hit. There were tough decisions to be made, problems to solve, and negotiations to enter into. Though it was hectic, it was also fantastic.

With three months behind me, I can now reflect on what has worked and what hasn't since I've taken my leadership skills to this new level. The following is some advice I hope you can use to make your leap to a new position successful.

STUDY HISTORY
If you're like me, you'll want to make your mark on the organization right away by defining its problems and trying to fix them. You'll want to refine the program's vision and charge full-steam ahead. However, know that trying to move too fast can backfire.

While you may be ready to lead the program into the future, you must first understand its past. For example, a bad relationship between your department and another on campus could be preventing your program from reaching its full potential. As a new leader, you have an opportunity to ease that tension. But if you don't know the history of the bad blood, you might just add to the problem.

An understanding of the present is just as critical. You can easily come in with unrealistic expectations if you don't learn about the organization's strengths and weaknesses. For example, you can't expect your basketball program to lead the conference in attendance if your marketing staff consists of two work-study students and your coach is not good at community relations. You have to realize any limitations of the organization and understand what can change, as well as what cannot.

How about making decisions for the future? As a new leader, you can't realistically figure out a direction and vision in a few weeks. You need to give yourself time to see situations develop. An athletic director who is hired to improve the success of a high-profile team might feel pressure to fire the head coach, for instance. But after careful examination of the program, replacing the coach might take a back seat to increasing the recruiting budget, hiring additional staff, or making facility improvements.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
No matter how much homework you've done on your new organization, the most challenging task for a new leader is dealing with unexpected issues that come up. In many ways, being a good leader boils down to dealing with these situations effectively. There is no longer a supervisor to help you come up with new ideas. The key is to use your years of experience and be confident in you abilities.

I also turn to the mentoring efforts of my former boss, who had a knack for seeing situations as challenges that could be overcome through the power of negotiation. For example, when an opponent said it wanted to exercise the buyout clause in our home-and-home series agreement, my initial thought was to collect the money and work hard to schedule another home game. My boss had a better idea. After speaking with the athletic director at the other institution, we tore up the contract, negotiated an immediate payment for half of the original buyout and drew up a new contact for a return date the next year. He saw the unexpected as an opportunity.

KNOW YOURSELF
Another key part of finding success in your new leadership role is to know yourself. It's natural to come into an organization wanting to be great at everything. But we all have our weaknesses, and it's important to acknowledge them.

Make a list of your personal weaknesses and start identifying the people around you who can help fill in your gaps. If there isn't such a person in your organization and your budget is able, hire one!

It's also okay to fully admit that you don't know everything in your new role and that you'll need some time to make many of your initial decisions. At first glance, things might not be as they appear. In addition, the direction you feel strongly about today might change once you've had time to examine the situation.

Another common mistake is to take on the persona of one's previous boss hoping to replicate his or her success. For example, I remember one coach who had spent many years as a top assistant under a fiery and boisterous head coach. This assistant was logical, soft spoken, and respected as a person of integrity. However, when this assistant coach was promoted to head coach of the same program, he started yelling at people and complaining about every little thing that didn't go his way. He became so difficult that he started alienating the same people who supported him in getting the position. In the end, the coach lost the respect of those around him and his once-promising career took a nosedive.

Above all, new leaders should be aware of their surroundings and communicate their intentions. Expect the unexpected not only from your organization, but from your employees. Create a short term-plan with some common goals that are shared by your staff. Know the organization's limits as well as your personal limits as a leader. Finally, be yourself. You do you better than anyone else.