Shut Up and Listen: A Better Way to Start as a New Leader

When I stepped into my first VP role, I thought I had to hit the ground running.

I had experience. A strong track record. A big title.

So I thought I had to prove something — fast.

But what I’ve learned (and what I now help new leaders navigate through coaching) is this:

The best way to start leading isn’t by showing how much you know.
It’s by showing how much you’re willing to learn.

The Pressure to Prove

The shift from being a junior hire to being brought in at a senior level is massive.

When you’re junior, people expect you to ask questions. Learn. Observe.

When you’re senior? People expect you to already know.
Which can feel like a trap.

I’ve worked with many coaching clients in this exact position —
new leaders stepping into a fresh company or role, eager to make an impact.

But underneath that eagerness is often a quiet fear:

• “Will they think I’m good enough?”
• “Should I be doing more?”
• “What if I don’t seem impressive?”

So we talk. And we reframe.

Because in that crucial first 60 days, the smartest thing you can do isn’t rush in with solutions:
it’s to slow down and listen.

Start With Humility

There’s a kind of quiet power in humility.

Not performative modesty, but real, intentional listening.
Letting go of the need to always share your past.
Getting curious about this culture, these people, this moment.

One of the things I work on with new leaders in coaching is how to map their new organization.
Not just the org chart, but the unwritten rules. The informal influencers.
What’s rewarded. What’s avoided.
What people say in meetings vs. what they really think.

It’s a bit like anthropology. But with higher stakes.

Leading from Mission and Values

Listening isn’t passive. It’s strategic.

It gives you the data to lead more meaningfully.
It helps you decide when to speak up, and what to say.
It helps you connect to your new team in a way that feels human, not transactional.

When you lead from that place, rooted in your values, not in your ego,
you don’t just perform better.
You earn deeper trust.
You belong faster.

And when the moment comes to share your experience, you’ll do it in a way that actually resonates.

For me, that moment came during my first trip to HQ at that Bay Area startup.
Instead of giving a formal bio, I offered a tech talk:
“10 Lessons Ultramarathon Running Taught Me About Entrepreneurship.”

It wasn’t a pitch. It was a story.
It was value for them — and a window into me.

That’s what connection looks like.

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Starting a New Leadership Role?

If you’re about to step into a new leadership position — or are already in one — here’s my invitation:

• Don’t rush to prove yourself.
• Map before you move.
• Let your curiosity lead.
• Listen for what’s not said.
• And connect your leadership to your deeper “why”.

This is one of the most exciting transitions in your career.
But it can also be one of the loneliest, most disorienting.

You don’t have to navigate it alone.

If this resonates and you want to explore coaching with me, you can reach out here: morschlesinger.com/contact
I work with new and emerging leaders to help them find clarity, build trust, and lead with alignment from day one.