They say you get better with
age, but does it just happen? As I thought about this and evaluated my own
leadership journey, I realized it does not just happen. You can be growing
older but not getting better. It requires deliberate effort to get better at whatever
you commit to do.
As a leader, you most likely
started out as an entry-level employee, rose to a supervisor, to middle-level
management level and then to senior management level. This journey takes time
and character adjustments. You need to grow from a personal level to grow your
organization. As Jack Welch quoted, “Before you are a leader, success is about
growing yourself. When you become a leader success is all about growing others”
I believe each level
requires new skill sets but here are six tips that can help you increase your
leadership prowess to take you to the next level:
Engage
in Personal Development: You are as good as you believe you
are, and thus act in accordance with your beliefs. As a leader, therefore, you
can only increase your competencies by being in touch with whom you are and
your potential and aspirations. You can enlist the help of an executive coach
or a life coach to make this process shorter and more effective.
Be
a life student: Readers are leaders however, as
Harry S. Truman put it, “Not all readers become leaders, but leaders must be
readers” the difference is in what you read. Read material that is helping you
grow to be the leader you want to be. In today’s competitive market
place, the leaders who stand out are the ones who evolve quickly with the
trends. The fastest way to keep evolving is through reading your industry reports.
However, do not leave it at that put into practice the new methods of doing
things that you learn.
Be
authentic: The people you are leading can tell when you are
being real with them or not. Always be honest when interacting with every
employee to the biggest customer. Being honest includes owning your mistakes;
every so often, you make a wrong decision. When you push the blame to others,
you lose credibility with your staff. However, when you are open, you build
trust with your staff; you know that without trust, you will have no followers.
Be
a Visionary: This means you do not accept the status
quo and are open to new information. A visionary leader has a vivid imagination
and can paint the future today. When you have the ability to visualize the
future and write it on paper as a vision. Then inspire others to work towards
it, you set yourself apart. Do not be afraid of taking risks as long as you
believe in your vision. As a visionary, you should not only take big risks but
also calculated ones. Therefore, you will put together your action plan with a
specific strategy in mind.
Be
a good Communicator: You can have all the right strategies
to propel your organization forward, but if you lack good communication skills,
they will remain as ideas. Cultivate your communications skills, both verbal
and written. The result will be a team that knows exactly what the vision is
and how to go for it. Good communication is not one sided, you need to be an
active listener. Listening to your staff is important because they have ideas
that will contribute to your vision and make it larger. With open
communication, your team will reach great milestones faster.
Mentor
others: Your expertise and achievements puts your name out
there. Did you do it all alone? Chances are you didn’t but worked with a
support system of your staff and fellow mentors. Your expertise comes together
when your team is right behind you, moving when you move and halting when you
halt. However, after it all, you will pass the mantle to someone else. The best
thing to do is to mentor others. Through mentorship, you can inspire them to
become the best version of themselves and learn from your mistakes.
In conclusion, step out and
be the leader that you are meant to be. Incorporate the above six tips into
your growth plan and enjoy the ride to top management.
(Jim Iyoob, 28/7/2015)
What is your action plan to improve
your leadership skill?
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relate to this article :-
Great article... Thanks for sharing it. leadership need for develop our personality. I have something to share with you about 8 leadership skill for business world
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