When Your Peer Becomes Your New Boss: Becoming a leader is an exciting transition. Your colleague just got a promotion. Now, instead of being your peer, she’s your boss. It’s a weird situation to be in. Does your relationship need to change? Should you act differently, or expect her to treat you differently? In other words, how do you manage up to someone who’s just jumped a level above you and who might’ve been a friend?

“If you take a typical group of mid-level executives and ask if they’ve ever been promoted to lead their peers, 90% of them will say yes,” says Michael Watkins, the chairman of Genesis Advisers and author of The First 90 Days and Your Next Move. Now what do you do?

Accept that things will change

Don’t think that you and your peer-turned-boss are still going to go out for beers on Fridays or grab a casual lunch together. You can still have a warm, respectful relationship, but if your manager does a good job of assuming his new role, he’s going to establish some “social distance” so he can more effectively step up to the job of coaching and assessing you. If you two are good friends, this can be painful. But “it seldom works to have a friend evaluating you,” says Watkins. Don’t take the change personally. It’s what’s best for the business and, ultimately, for you.

You might have an advantage, but don’t expect it

There’s a serious advantage to having already worked with your new boss, says Watkins: “To a degree, you know that person, you know their style.” Sutton agrees: “If it’s someone you have a good relationship with, it can put you in the position where you now have an important ally. You may be able to get projects more easily approved or bend her ear when you have an idea.” But don’t presume anything.

Watkins says one of the big mistakes people make is “asking for special treatment based on their past relationship or behaving like they’re still going to have the kind of influence they had when they were peers.” Your boss probably wants to demonstrate that he/she is going to give the same attention to everyone, even her former teammates.

Signal the new relationship

Ideally, your new boss will sit down with you to discuss how you’re going to work together going forward. But if he doesn’t take the initiative, do this yourself. Tell him that you understand things are different now and that you want to find a new way of working well together. Sutton did that when one of his peers was promoted to department chair, telling him, “You’re my boss now. It’s your job to make decisions, and I won’t always agree with them, but I will follow them.” The goal here is to help your colleague accept her new authority over you and demonstrate that you trust him/her to do the job.

Think about how you can help

If you were in contention for the promotion your peer got, your ego may be wounded. But it’s important to get over it and focus on what you can do to help your new boss succeed. This is a big moment for him/her, and he’s probably spending a lot of time and energy trying to figure out how to be effective in the role. So be empathetic and try to anticipate what she needs. The more you understand the situation the boss is facing, the better off you are.

The goal should be to support your peer-turned-manager as he/she “grows into the new role.” You might help them get organized, shape their vision, strategy, and goals, or volunteer to tackle a particular project that would help them have a significant impact in a short period of time, says Watkins. Remember to be patient, too. “They’re probably not going to function right away at the same level that your former boss did,” Watkins says. “They’re going to be on a learning curve.”

When your relationship isn’t strong

Sometimes the peer who gets promoted isn’t someone with whom you had a good relationship previously. But getting along with her is especially important now. “If it’s someone who you really don’t like and is maybe even out to get you,” you have two tasks, Sutton says. First, “be nicer” to him/her. Second, advocate for yourself through your network. “Figure out which allies on your team or outside it can pressure the boss to treat you better than he would otherwise,” he suggests. After all, whether you like the person or not, she is now one of your most critical relationships at work.

post source: http://www.walktallarena.com/peer-becomes-new-boss/

Asƙ aisha ɓuhari,she will know ɓetter:>

Happy for him or her

Feel like d boss

Honestly, this may look discouraging. Trust me, it shouldn't be any problem for you. It only means you have not succeeded at something he is very good at. That thing may have gotten management to notice him before you which is why he is now your boss.

What to do?
Take this up as a learning challenge and work with him as best as you can, cheerfully and supportive.

You are a work in progress.

This may be difficult especially if this person was competitive from the start or got there through some "squeeze job". But consider this a lesson for something bigger. Learn the rudiments at this point and this would get you something bigger. If not in your office, it would somewhere else.


Ever heard of the story of Torres and Simeone? They played as teammates, Torres was captain of the team. On Torres second return to the club, Simeone was coach.

Now, imagine that Simeone gave Torres issues when he was captain, do you think he would have been considered a good fit to be coach in same club he almost destroyed from being unruly to the leaders?
I don't think so.

A mentor once mentioned same issue to me sometimes back and he said he did his best to ensure his colleague didn't feel less of himself when he got to be boss over him.

So, I suggest you learn now and forge the issue at hand. You are a work in progress.

There is a lesson in this. Sit down and learn it.

I will definitely celebrate him cos that's an automatic application to my own breakthrough. No hating at all

. .Relate with Him as you Boss at work.


However depending on how He relates with you outside office and His personality that will determine how you relate with Him outside office.

I will try to work harder and be my own boss...

Sure nah

Support him or her and let him or her know I'm genuinely happy for him or her. Treat her like a boss,accord her the respect of the office as long as she doesn't take advantage OF the respect and gives me mine back there'll be peace.but If she OR he wants to form authoritarian boss,there'll be 2captains in the ship tossing for power

Ecclesiastes 8:9

All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt .

Useless nonsense

nonsense

This is the best thing I will do.
Read this picture below.

Option is one, either take it or quit! not difficult to do i guess?

Seriously? Why should you care?
Work hard and you would get rewarded too

I believe the Jealousy will be there....Imagine your own peer heading you at the Same Office....Well, the best thing to do is just to do the best thing you'll always do.

Work smarter.

According him/her the same respect you would as though you never knew him before!

If others at your level are calling him sir or madam do so too. In short you should even be the first.



Very important...

business apart friends apart .... Dats d code

for 2 years i worked in a startup, my classmate was my team lead, it wasnt much of a big deal

;DHehehe... I will congratulate him/her then I wee go and see baba in the village. We shall see. Nollywood style

I do the needful

I will be happy, at least I still have my job
What if I was laid off

SAMBARRY:
Support him or her and let him or her know I'm genuinely happy for him or her. Treat her like a boss,accord her the respect of the office as long as she doesn't take advantage OF the respect and gives me mine back there'll be peace.but If she OR he wants to form authoritarian boss,there'll be 2captains in the ship tossing for power

This is to say, you are ready to be sacked regardless?

Good

One of my old peers didnt find it easy accepting my new role as his team leader. He was so pained because he was employed before me as a driver but i was later promoted to Logistics officer. Other drivers listens to me and obeys my instructions. This might be because we used to hang out together before the promotion.

If u send me,i will send U

Hbd to me...last year this time it was in the hospital but today I am alive and well....Nairaland una well done o..

Can I get 500 likes