FNG

[punisher84]

Dear jocko,
Thank you. Thank you for your service that you have done for us here in the USA and all over the world. When I first heard you on jre I was hooked and sat and sat and waited till you came out with your own podcast. I've been listening since day one and now finally took a step to change my life. For the past year and half I have been exercising and eating better food. I have a bunch of questions for you but don't know where to start.
First off I finally bought your book about 2 months ago and it has completely changed my look on life and work. Mainly work because I agree on a lot of things you have in the book and I got my boss to read it as well!
2nd I have now been put into a team leader position at work but i am having a hard time accepting the position because I have a hard time believing in my company and management. I more or less accepted the position for my fellow co-workers because I believe they need someone to help them out and look up to because our management lacks a lot of leadership skills. But like I said I did get my boss to read extreme ownership and he has made some changes but I don't really believe it's for the good yet. Time will tell and this is very resent this has happened we are talking 1 month now.
So I guess my question is how do I be a leader when I don't believe in my own boss and have know one to look up to? How do I get my guys to believe in me when I'm having doubts in management. How do I stop myself from being one of the guys and start acting like a real leader when negativity starts flying around.
I have a lot questions and concerns not only in my company but me as well. I feel like I'm a follower and not leader how do I change that in mysel please help.

[mynewunit]

Punisher, 
  Steps not leaps, sips not gulps.  You now have some tools, and that has enabled you to see the deficiencies in the systems around you.  Now you need to remove yourself from you understanding of what is around you.  Why do the existing systems operate as they do?  What function or role do they play? What things are valued?

First things first. Learn your teams needs. Learn their strengths and weaknesses. Learn your boss. Learn you business. 

I often tell people to Master the deliverable.  What does your company deliver? What does the customer want? What is important to the customer that isn't important to your company? And what is important to the company but is not important to the customer?  

Show your team that you are putting them first. Help them with the most annoying tasks. Put them out front for praise. You know the kind of things things that are problems. Try to get out ahead on them.  Keep up on budgets, deadlines, orders, what ever it is that is always the problem.  My company it is always budget or deadline.  If they don't give us enough of either they think we can't get them both wrong.

Accepting the position means accepting the responsibility. AKA accepting the blame.  You need to OWN everything you team does.  Let them solve problems as long as you can monitor the ones they make. Once you get the team working smoothly, start on your boss. Help him anticipate what your team can do and cant do. Make sure he knows your needs before they become critical.  

2 months is nothing.  Make a 6 month plan. In my company we often test things for 3 months to a year.  If your way of doing something doesn't last 3 months, fix it. 

Not trusting management is not uncommon.  As long as they are not interfering with your team, that is next years problem. You need to figure out your team. I would say that is a 6 month long task. Then you need to learn how to serve your boss. that is another 6 month task.  Then you need to learn how the other guys at your level work with their teams. another 6 months. And finally you need to find a mentor that can teach you the path to excellence in your business.  So, there is 2 years of work. 
Hopefully you don't have a personal life, health issues, financial issues that could get in the way.

Welcome to the boards,
Brian AKA MyNewUnit