The other day I was talking with a client who had recently moved into a new role. It was a true stretch assignment. He left behind 15 years of experience in a specialized area. His graduate studies were almost irrelevant.



"What did you say, when your boss first came to you?" I asked.



"I turned him down flat," he replied. "Wrote him a lengthy email explaining why it wasn't the right job for me."



"So, what happened next?"



"He wrote me a nice note saying he accepted my decision. Then, he turned around and arranged a meeting with the CEO, who lobbied me hard to change my mind. I realized I couldn't say no," he said, with a smile.



A true stretch assignment request can be scary. After all, you have mastered what you do. You face a steep learning curve - a lot more time at the office, or thinking about what's going on at the office. And, what if you don't enjoy the new role? Worse, what if you fail? Friends would say a big promotion is a nice problem to have. But getting tapped creates butterflies.



As an executive coach, I have seen high potential leaders fail in stretch assignments. But usually they succeed. And that's because their bosses have seen something in them - something perhaps they haven't seen in themselves.



There are good strategies for stretch assignments that every leader should know. In coaching high potential leaders we've noted the successful ones take similar approaches.



#1: Total commitment to the new role. Give yourself over to it. Accept there will be a learning curve, give yourself time, and immerse yourself so you quickly get your sea legs. Focus on getting your arms around the business, the people, the opportunities and the challenges within the first quarter.



#2: Tap your mentor/coach network. You very likely will need the help of current mentors and you may also need to recruit a few new folks, to help you keep you on course. This is a good time to enlist internal support, and external support, such as an executive coach, to accelerate your success in a new environment.



#3: Go on a listening tour. We recommend going on a 90 day "listening tour" that takes you to every part of the organization. Resist the temptation to spend all of your time with your new direct reports. Get the real story on what's happening. Think of yourself as one of those CEOs on the TV show "Undercover Boss" and get out and talk to everybody.



#4: Create a robust communication strategy: Once you have a business plan evolving, create a communication strategy to go with it. We recommend you develop not just messaging but a plan to deliver that message 6,000 times. Assess the gaps in communication in the organization that may have hampered your predesessor and redouble the time you spend on communication activities.



#5: Share a compelling vision. Your honeymoon period will end and then expectations will be high. Within 60 to 90 days, people will be looking to you for direction and inspiration. Talk about the big ideas. Make your goal to galvanize your team and ignite enthusiasm for doing what needs to be done. And check in frequently to make sure people understand and embrace the vision.



One stretch assignment can transform your leadersihp brand and make you top of mind in succession plan conversations. Building a reputation as a versatile leader who can get your arms around complex business challenge and lead teams across the orgainzation puts you on the fast track to top jobs including the C-Suite.