Abstract

A transition into a new leadership role is often described to be an uncertain situation to new leaders, since the environment, people and tasks may be unfamiliar. We suggest that setting personal goals related to leadership - such as “to be a skillful leader” - and striving to attain them can be important for the success of these leaders’ transitioning. The characteristics of set goals are important as they may influence how leaders direct their transition and make sense of the new situation. Specifically, by setting personal goals, striving for their attainment, evaluating their success in goal attainment, and the adjustments made, new leaders can direct their own leader development. Furthermore, in this chapter we capitalize on theory and research evidence to help a reader to think about and reflect her goals and related goal-directed action to foster successful transition into new leadership role and related leader development.