4. Ask. Shut up. Listen. It really is that simple. Don’t you remember how often you and your friends would say things like, "if they would just ask us," or "we told them, they just didn’t listen," or even the favorite, "I told you so…?"

Ask your prior co-workers what they do, specifically. Ask what you can do to make their job better (easier, faster, more productive).

Then, the hard part: shut up and listen.

Don’t speak for a while. Give them the chance to talk. This is their first opportunity to address their "new" boss. Make it something memorable for them. Take notes. Don’t commit unless you’re sure of your authority. But certainly say "that sounds reasonable to me" if appropriate.

If you nail this down right, it’s a skill that will prove invaluable to you as a leader in the future.

5. Leverage your relationships. Stop worrying about what someone is now going to think about you, or how you’ll look to your prior co-workers now that you’ve ‘got the washroom key.’ Use those prior relationships to make success all around.

Go to prior friends and ask them do some of the things they may have proposed, or to be the ‘point-person’ because of their known skills in influencing co-workers and others. Maybe you can get them to remind you of some of the processes you both may have discussed earlier.

You don’t need to entirely jettison those prior relationships. Put them to good use going forward.

I often remind managers (both new and experienced) that leadership - truly effective, successful leadership - is not necessarily difficult, though we sometimes make it that way. It’s simple principles, common sense, and the ability to trust our learned instincts.

Leadership is a skill, and one that is as critical at this first juncture as it is for a Fortune 100 CEO. Yesterday, you may have talked about your boss. Today, they may be talking about you. Making the leap from co-worker to leader does not have to be difficult, but it absolutely must be a change from how you behaved before.

Simply decide you want to succeed, plot the appropriate course, and start taking those steps.

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