When the New Boss Doesn’t Know You (and Why That’s a Problem)
In my recent piece on the bias loop, I talked about the challenge of being forever seen through the lens of your “year one” self. A dear friend and colleague added an unexpected twist:
Sometimes the bias loop runs in reverse.
You can be in the same company for years, even decades, but when leadership changes, you suddenly find yourself perceived only through the narrowest, most recent snapshot of your career.
When the Story Shrinks
My colleague has seen this dynamic firsthand. After years of delivering high-profile campaigns, strategic wins, and leadership results, a shift in leadership meant that some of their new colleagues didn’t have the full picture of their background.
It wasn’t malice, it was mechanics. New leaders arrive, established networks shift, and the corporate memory of your skills and achievements naturally fades. The result? People may make well-meaning assumptions based on recent work alone.
Why It Matters
For some, that gap in recognition can quietly erode confidence. Talented colleagues may feel less visible. They may hesitate to stretch into new opportunities. And over time, this can make it harder for teams to hold onto their best people, not because they lack ability, but because their contributions aren’t fully seen.
The Missing Leadership Skill
This isn’t about onboarding new hires, it’s about onboarding new leaders to existing teams.
When a new team member joins, we share their skills, background, and accomplishments. But when a leader inherits a team, we rarely do the same in reverse. Without that process, assumptions fill the gap. And as they put it: “These assumptions become their reality.”
What Leaders Can Do
If you inherit a team, your first job isn’t to set direction. It’s to understand what you’ve got. That means:
Do a skills tour – not as an interrogation, but as a curiosity exercise. Let people tell their own professional story.
Update the internal narrative – share what you’ve learned about your team’s capabilities with others who may only see them through outdated lenses.
Resist the recency trap – don’t judge someone solely by their last 6–12 months if reorgs or resource shifts have taken them out of their core work.
Keep the values conversation alive – shifts in focus or priorities can leave people questioning their place; leaders can help by making those changes explicit and inviting dialogue.
The Whole-Person View
The real leadership competency here is what I’d call seeing the spectrum of the person’s experience. Your team isn’t just their current project list or job title, they’re the sum of their skills, experiences, networks, and values.
If you don’t see the whole person, you risk underestimating them and missing opportunities to fully leverage their strengths.
And as my colleague reminded me, even senior leaders sometimes have to reintroduce themselves. The difference is that experience gives you the confidence to “just do it” rather than wait for permission. Not everyone has that confidence yet, which is why leaders have a responsibility to build it by seeing and valuing the full story, not just the latest chapter.
P.S. This article is a companion to my earlier piece on The Bias Loop. That one explored how people can get stuck in outdated perceptions from their early days in a role. This one looks at the reverse, when new leaders inherit a team and only see a fraction of the story. Together, they’re a call to action for leaders to refresh their perspective, rebuild trust, and make sure the talent they have is the talent they truly see.
