Every time you take on a new role, building credibility is incredibly important. I don’t think you do it by being smarter than everybody else or knowing more necessarily than everybody else. I think you do it by rolling up your sleeves, by showing commitment, by proving that you’re willing to learn, by asking for help.

All those things earn you credibility, especially if the people who work for you feel like you’re not going to sit back and take credit for what they do, and if they get a sense that you’re going to support them, help them grow.

Pardon the Godfather terminology, I could not help it. But the movie does have a lot of leadership lessons in it.

Anyway, I'd just like to share this bit of wisdom by Dawn Lepore, CEO of drugstore.com. You may think that in order to succeed while being the new guy, you need to impress the old-timers with your brainpower and outsmart everyone. Think again. That is almost always a sure way to alienate yourself from your organization.

If you are still new, start out clean, slow but sure. Get a good mentor or coach who can show you around and help you learn the trade. Be the good guy who asks a lot of questions like a child does and always, always be a team player.