Recently promoted? Congratulations - but are you ready? Whether you are in a new leadership position due to a promotion or being newly hired, you may have to learn to think in a new way. To be successful, you need to shift your mindset so you can focus on the new requirements and outcomes for which you are held accountable. In other words, you need to let go of many tasks that have made you successful thus far and focus on what your team can deliver. If you don't, you will not make the leap into your new position successfully.

Unfortunately, many people don't transition into leadership roles well. Why? Sometimes they simply don't know what is expected of them. Communication is poor in many companies, and few people receive detailed instructions on how to lead and what competencies it takes to lead. You may get a new title with no idea of what to actually do in your new role. As such, you face ambiguity every day. Or, you may be moving from a technical role into a leadership role, and you don't want to let go of your spreadsheets, maps, or other technical responsibilities. Some people enjoy the details of their work and aren't ready to delegate those details to others. They claim that it will take them longer to teach someone than to actually do the work themselves.

However, when you are living with daily ambiguity or not delegating the details, you quickly become overworked and overstressed. That is why you need to shift your mindset, let go of who you were or what you did, and make the leap into your new leadership role. These tips will help you do that successfully.

Learn the differences between supervisory management and leadership.
Management jobs involve planning, organizing, directing, and controlling, and a good manager knows how to do all of that. Leadership takes all that plus vision, passion, and influence. However, many managers fail when they move into a leadership role because they don't know how to shift those responsibilities into a leadership position. They can't totally let go of those detail-oriented things because they're still accountable for them, just in a different way. Realize that some people are great leaders while they are still supervisors and managers, while others are chosen for leadership because of their superb technical skills and critical thinking ability. If you are the latter, the climb for you is steeper.

The first step is to find out what, specifically, is required of you in this new position. A good question to ask is, "What am I getting paid for?" or "What do I need to be doing that I'm not doing now?"

One way to develop a strategic and leadership-oriented way of thinking is to start reading the Harvard Business Journal every month. Very soon you will know how CEOs from around the world and in various industries think. Read about different companies and how they attained success. Autobiographies of famous leaders are good sources too.

Ultimately, a leader is paid for thinking strategically and for making sure plans are executed. A supervisor is paid for participating in getting those things done. You may no longer be responsible personally for all the details, but don't fool yourself: you need to be checking them, since you are still accountable for them in some form. Inspect what you expect.

Rebrand yourself.
Unless you are new at the company, you already have a reputation. A reputation is what you have; a brand is what you want to be known for. Rebranding takes work.

When you are in a leadership role, you must know what your reputation is, and you must make a conscious decision about what you want to be in terms of your brand. The best way to uncover this information is to ask people, "What do others think of me?" As you do this, don't waste time asking your friends and family. They'll be more concerned with sparing your feelings than giving you honest feedback. Rather, ask co-workers, upper management, past managers, and anyone else whom you believe would give you thoughtful insight. Yes, it takes boldness and humility to do this, but this information can guide your future career.

Once you receive the feedback, analyze it. Is it accurate? Are the answers in line with what you thought about yourself? Do you like the feedback? Using the replies you received, decide where you need to make changes in your approach and what you want to be known for in the company. Then take the steps to be the type of leader you want to be.

Start building social capital right away.
Leaders have willing followers. A good leader knows how to get things done without formally delegated authority. A superb leader has built some social capital and knows how to spend it. Social capital is about doing appropriate things to help others do their job. Can you offer assistance on a project or give people needed information? If so, and if you offer it, then you're building social capital.

One of the ways to get social capital is during meetings with your new executive peer group. Keep notes on every peer; write down what you learn about them. As the old adage says, "The palest ink is better than the best memory." To be a successful leader, you have to learn about your new peers, and you have to learn the functions of their areas and how their function is tied to what you do.

Social capital is something you can spend, but you can't spend it if you don't have it. Therefore, always offer to help your peers. If there's something you're specifically good at, and you know how to get some information that they mentioned in a meeting or in passing, say, "I can help you with that!" That will build social capital.

Reciprocity exists in every culture in the world. You give someone something; they give something back to you. If you haven't done anything for anyone, then you don't have any chips to cash in when you need something. When you are in a crisis situation and you need something from another department, if you don't have that social capital built, it's going to be really hard to ask for, and receive, the help you need.

Make the switch today.
Moving into a leadership position is both exciting and challenging. You begin to stretch to reach new levels of achievement while letting go of tasks that brought you to your current level of success. A promotion or new job signals a time to reinvent yourself with a new peer group while perhaps transitioning into a new persona in relation to those you've worked with for years. By all accounts, this is a time for change, and for personal and professional growth. Make the most of this time and transition wisely. Doing so will reap the greatest rewards for both you and your company.

About the Author:
Jean Kelley is president and founder of Jean Kelley Leadership Consulting and Jean Kelley Leadership Alliance. She works with corporate leaders all over the world to help them achieve their highest potential. With her Alliance, Jean has helped more than 500,000 businesspeople enhance their careers. She is the author of Dear Jean: What They Don't Teach You at the Water Cooler, and Get A Job; Keep A Job Handbook. For more information, please visit www.jeankelley.com.