Time to Lead

Author: Antony Xavier

Congratulations !! You've just been promoted; you're feeling great ! and at times a bit nervous right? After a long wait you have finally got promoted to the position you were waiting for and its time to lead. You want to give your best to your new role. You want everything to be perfect the first time - with no mistakes. Nice intentions, but as we all know, highly unrealistic. People are fallible; mistakes will inevitably be made.

We think and talk a lot about Leadership and how to develop the Leadership skills. No one is a born Leader, It is developed. Remember that it does not emerge overnight; it takes time and practice, so don’t expect too much of yourself too soon. Being a leader isn't easy - it requires commitment for the long haul. It's not something we can just accomplish and then move on. Being a leader requires hard work, sacrifice, commitment and a willingness to grow ourselves.

First take time to honestly analyze yourself, learn to understand yourself, it’s the first step to understanding others, take the help of a mentor or use questioners or tests that are widely available in the market taking these steps will give you the opportunity to test out your responses to identify your leadership style. In turn, you’ll then be able to evaluate what has worked and what hasn't, identify your strengths and your areas of improvement and helps you plan what to do or avoid doing next time.

Understand the Different Facets of Effective Leadership

There are different types of leadership styles. Think of three shepherds. The first opens the gate and walks through, allowing the flock to follow—this shepherd leads from the Front. Another stands behind the sheep and pushes or guides them through, demonstrating a supportive leadership style. The third moves from front to back and sometimes to the middle of the flock, demonstrating an interactive leadership style. For leaders to exist, there must be followers, and the needs of followers change depending on the context. Knowing how to apply different leadership styles can help you respond equally effectively in many different kinds of situations.

Leadership Competencies can be broadly classified into three categories:

♦ Business Acumen your ability and keenness and quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.

♦ Self-Awareness: your leadership style is the means by which you communicate and mastering the same. The more self-aware you are, the more effectively it will work for you, ask yourself what you like, what you preferences are, what your goals are, how your team perceives you and your goals.

♦ Employee Engagement is termed here as your ability to building and sustaining employee in their work environment. Paul Marciano, Ph.D., in his book Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work. He writes that an engaged employee:

♦ Brings New Ideas to Work

♦ Is Passionate and Enthusiastic about Work

♦ Takes Initiative

♦ Actively seeks to Improve Self, Others and the Business

♦ Consistently exceeds Goals and Expectations

♦ Is Curious and Interested; asks Questions

♦ Encourages and Supports Team Members

♦ Is Optimistic and Positive; Smiles

♦ Overcomes Obstacles and Stays Focused on Tasks; is Persistent

♦ Is Committed to the Organization

Good leadership skills are essential to career development. "The Key to Successful Leadership Today is Influence, not Authority," said Ken Blanchard. If you want to improve your leadership skills, think about what actions you can take to be more influential.

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