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Leadership Skills for Early in your Career

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 18:26:43 GMT

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Leadership skills. It’s something you might not think about early in your career, but it’s important, especially if you have big career dreams. If this is true for you, one thing you need to establish right off the bat is the fact that you can be a leader. In fact, you probably already are and just don’t know it yet.

I am a firm believer that we all are leaders, whether our job has that in the title or not or whether you believe you have any leadership skill or not. We lead at home, in our communities, and both personal and professional projects. In fact, when I transitioned from a formal leadership role with direct reports, to no supervisory duties, I had trouble remembering this. It took a team mate to say that I still was a leader, every time I stepped in front of a class to teach leadership skills. It was my job to lead the participants through the material, connect to them, see the importance of the skills.

It was kind of a “duh” moment, but so many only equate leadership with the formal ability to tell others what to do. It’s so much more!

Whether you’re new to a particular organization, project or team, or you’ve been thinking about a way to get to the position you really want, being a good leader is important. Everybody can think of at least one “natural” leader in the office, but the whole adage about being a “natural born leader” is a lie, really. True, some are born with innate personality traits that make leading easier, but no one is born with all the leadership skills they need. Everybody has to learn something to be a great leader.

So how do leadership legends like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln become great leaders if they’re not born with all those skills?

It all starts somewhere early in your career when you decide that you would rather lead than follow. (BTW, you will always follow, too, but that’s a different post!)

When you’re trying to become an excellent leader, you have to first make a name for yourself.

Be known for good things!

It’s so important to find the balance between wanting to become a leader and looking like someone who is overbearing or ridiculously ambitious.

I can’t tell you the number of times I “interview coached” someone who was looking for the promotion for the pay increase! Let me just say, be careful what you wish for! There’s a reason leader get paid more so make sure you are ready for the extra responsibility.

Below are my best tips to help you gain some leadership skills at work without turning people off:

Get to Know Everyone

No matter who they are, or what they do, whether they’re related to your projects or not, make it a point to really get to know everyone you come in contact with. This means getting out and mingling a little bit.

For example:

Go to company gatherings.

Stop and talk to people; show a true interest in their work.

Ask others about themselves – let them do most of the talking.

Even if they’re not people who can help your career directly, getting to know those you work with will teach you a lot about how the business works and what is going on. You can start making connections between the different individuals you come in contact with and this can lead to wondrous things later when you need to put together a team.

This is one of those things that may come easier to people who are extroverted by nature. But being an introvert isn’t a show stopper by any means! In fact, a Harvard Business Review article, The Hidden Advantages of Quiet Bosses highlights the benefits of being an introverted leader.

Introverted people with leadership aspirations will just have to make a more concerted effort to do this and they can expect it to drain a fair amount of energy. But knowledge is power and getting to know everyone will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Know When to Turn Down Work

Leaders are often considered the go-to guy or the go-to gal, so you might think a leader needs to accept every proposed project. In reality, this isn’t true. If you look over a project and determine you can’t handle it well, you’re going to be in a much better place by not accepting it.

Show respect to your colleagues and clients by helping them find a capable person to complete the project if you’re not able to do so.

You should never avoid a project just because it is too much work. Always cite specific reasons you can’t complete a project. This shows that you are able to take ownership of your schedule. Plus, it proves that you only want to provide top quality results to others, not just rush jobs.

A simple “no” can be a great way to get others to take notice, especially if you’re otherwise very agreeable.

As in so many things, it’s how you say no that matters here. Control the non-verbals, control the tone. Communicate from a place of reasonableness and helpfulness.

Here are a few positive ways to turn down a project or assignment.

“I’d really love to help out but I’m just swamped right now. I’d be able to do it next week, or perhaps I can help you find someone else who can get it done for you. I don’t want to do a crummy job just to get it done on time for you.”

“Thanks for thinking of me! I want to help out but I have a lot on my plate this week. What about we setup a quick meeting to discuss the task and see if I can help you get on the right track, that way you can get it done on time?”

Work as Hard as Anyone Else

One top-notch leadership skill is a willingness to work as hard as any of the teammates. If your team is working long hours, work with them. Lead by example and show them you’re willing to work and not just sit back and receive the credit.

By showing your team this kind of respect, you’ll find they’ll respect you in return.

Also be willing to do whatever needs to be done – ego aside! I was a team lead and one of my project leads needed a note-taker at a meeting. No one else was available, so I went along and did it. One person in the meeting even commented “I can’t believe you’re the scribe!” To which I replied “it needed to be done.”

There are no tasks “beneath you” only tasks that need to be done.

Offer Solutions

While you should strive to tackle problems before they happen, from time to time this isn’t possible (who knew that life happens?). When things are problematic, make sure you step in with a solution that you’re willing to work on to improve the situation.

Being remembered as someone who came forward with a solution will go a long way to earning respect as a leader in the workplace. Pretty much every leader I worked with wanted their people to come to them with problems, and also with an option or two to solve it as well!

If leadership is on your aspirational glide path, it never hurts to start early and use these tips to be seen as an up-and-comer rather than an in-it-for-the-money-or-power person.

Leaving you with this from the Lighter Side: “My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now when people wave at me, they use all their fingers.” President Jimmy Carter

source.

Qualities of a Good Leader vs. a Tolerated Boss

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 16:02:00 GMT

What are the qualities of a good leader?

Do you consider yourself a leader or a boss?

These questions don’t just apply to the workplace, they can also refer

to your home and personal relationships.

I remember when I received my promotion to a Team Leader position, my first with supervisory responsibilities. I had 6 older guys working for me. And when I say older, I think they were close to twice my age. I struggled with learning the supervisory part of it (who knew the Government has a gazillion “rules” for supervisors?!?) and I struggled with how to motivate them to do their job with a new, female whippersnapper at the helm.

My personality type is ESTJ and we are known as the Supervisors because we like to take charge and make sure things get done correctly. Doesn’t sound too soft and fuzzy, does it?

It was hard and I had to find the balance between getting the mission accomplished and tending to my team members as human beings.

I had to ask myself these questions and I challenge you to do the same.

Do you lead people or just tell them what you want done without any consideration or explanation? Do you encourage and develop your team, or do you use criticism and protect your own interests?

It’s easier to be the boss, however…

…the world is full of bosses. There are far too few leaders.

Since leaders are rather scarce, you can really make a name for yourself by developing the qualities of a good leader. You’ll enjoy more career opportunities and have far fewer challenges with your employees.

If I can find my way, an opinionated ESTJ, to the next promotion within two years, you can, too.

Take advantage of these ideas and discover how the qualities

of a good leader can be a game changer for you:

1. Lead by example. A boss likes to sit on the sidelines and allow others to do the hard work. A leader is out in front of his people showing the way. A leader is involved. A boss just makes a request and walks away.

I’ve learned that if you show people how to do something, patiently answer their questions, and then leave them to it, you get a lot more done. Of course, patience is a quality not abundantly present in certain leadership styles (ESTJ being one of them…).

2. Leaders are driven by a purpose. There is an overall goal or mission. The people following the leader must be inspired and empowered. The people must understand the mission. This is very different than providing a to-do list without any context.

It’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day slog of things and forget about the bigger picture. For my team, we really had the mission to save the Army Operating & Support dollars. I had to remind my team of that constantly so that they knew that all the paperwork they had to do resulted in those savings for the Army.

3. Leaders delegate. Bosses micromanage. A leader trusts his people, but a boss struggles to relinquish any control. A leader has surrounded himself with people that complement his weaknesses. A boss hires people that don’t make him feel threatened.

A boss always has a weaker team. The team can’t accomplish as much because they’re not empowered. The team is also weaker because the boss doesn’t want strong employees that might shine brighter than he does. People don’t need to be shut down very often before they don’t bring forth good ideas anymore.

4. Leaders value respect. A boss wants to be feared. On the surface, they might appear to be similar, but the differences are striking. A leader is willing to use his enthusiasm, skill, and expertise to encourage others to respect and follow him. A boss uses fear and threats to gain compliance.

Leaders have the best wishes for their followers, and vice versa.

Those that follow a boss secretly want him to fail.

5. A leader develops new leaders. A true leader is constantly creating employees with the knowledge and experience to take his place. A boss is afraid of the competition. A boss is afraid he’ll be replaced and is too self-centered to be concerned about the career aspirations of his employees.

6. Leaders know how to motivate. They know that no two employees are the same. They know their employees well enough to know how to inspire them. A boss simply says, “It is what it is. This is what needs to be done and my hands are tied. You can always look for another job if you don’t like it.”

Leaders use positive techniques to motivate performance improvements, while bosses tend to criticize mistakes, hoping they won’t be made again if they are pointed out.

7. Leaders take responsibility. When the team fails, the leader is still out in front taking the brunt of the criticism. A boss is trying to absolve himself of as much responsibility as possible. A boss is quick to blame his employees. A leader is quick to blame himself.

This one can be hard, especially if you pride yourself on your performance. But it always is better in the long run to protect your team and shoulder the blame. The loyalty you build within a team that feels you “have their back” will pay far greater dividends in the future.

Think back over your work history. You’ve had plenty of bosses and hopefully at least a couple of leaders. I consider myself lucky that the two best leaders I had were my first after graduating college and my last before retiring.

Now we won’t even talk about the many bosses I had in between…

The bottom line is that it’s not enjoyable to work for someone that fits into the boss category. You feel like you’re operating in the dark with little support and few development opportunities.

And, oh by the way, being a leader is helpful at home, too. Your kids and spouse would rather deal with a leader than a boss.

I’m sure my husband and kids still think of me as bossy sometimes (like when 60 people are about to descend on my home for a Christmas party), but I continue to strive to be a leader and not a boss.

It’s much more enjoyable to work for a leader. Develop your leadership skills. You’ll be helping yourself, your employees, and your family.

Leaving you with this from the lighter side:

A boss is someone who never gets tired…

…of giving you orders.