It’s time to inject some tough love into the leadership conversation.
This is a candid conversation that I want to have openly with leaders all over, whether you are in a corporate leadership role or leading your own business. You may be very good at what you do, and you may have gotten promoted, gotten as far as you have in business because you excel at what you do. Congratulations! Your hard work, incredible capability and awesome gifts got you far. I hope this role is giving you the meaning and scope that you need to make you feel fulfilled and motivated to continute to move furhter ahead.
Yet if your role is not providing you with the sense that being in a position to lead others – and all of the headaches that come from it – is completely worth it, then it’s time to take a pause and re-evaluate your situation.
Forgive me for being blunt, but being a top performer in your role does not automatically make you an expert at leading people, and this fact requires some careful consideration.
Like the fact that many top performers who get promoted into leadership roles don’t particularly want to lead people. So let me ask you, is this what you really want? Because if you want to excel in a leadership role as much as you excel in the role itself, you will need to develop the skills to gather the troops and help them grow in unison towards a common vision, and the achievement of a common goal.
Leaders are not born. They are made.
So my first open and honest question is, do you want to lead others? are you willing to do what it takes to help people bring out the best in themselves and to foster a collaborative, high-performing environment that helps the team achieve results? I dare say this is no easy task – navigating through people’s complexities, creating a level playing field, finding a way to keep your employees engaged and motivated, wanting to give their all. I am serious, do you really want the burden of leading other people and their issues? or if given a chance, would you just rather stay within your own specialist role?
A sure thing is the fact that if you are not prepared to take on the new skillset of leading people, you are going to struggle, probably even come to resent your job, ending up stressed, overwhelmed, micromanaging and performing at far lower levels that you know you are capable of, hanging onto the job, hiding your insecurities.
You see, in a generalist role, you simply cannot apply a specialist mindset to find all the answers. You are going to have to become a generalist and upgrade your thinking, otherwise you will show up in ways that are going to compromise your performance in the leaders’s seat, ie. micromanaging, keeping distance from the team, removing yourself from the team dynamics, speaking lots and not listening enough, etc.
All of these misdirected behaviours will go onto creating an unmotivated, disengaged, unhappy workforce that will do just enough work to get their monthly cheque, and won’t hesitate to leave whenever another opportunity shows up, because there’s no loyalty, sense of belonging or a sense of contributing to something larger than their role.
If you take on the leadership role, you must learn to lead. Learn to lead yourself first, followed by learning to lead others. Because your team is counting on having a role model who they can be inspired and encouraged by, someone that can show them the way to tap into their potential and belief in their ability to be and do better than they themselves think is possible. You are going to have to learn to influence others to achieve organizational goals. Can you honestly say that you are comfortable doing that? And I don’t mean helping them reach targets by fear, intimidation and micromanaging.
Do you know how to positively influence others? how to build trust? how to interact with all of your followers from the bottom up? do you know how to effectively communicate with others? are you actively working in your credibility and authority as a leader?
Do you wholeheartedly embrace the decision making power that the organization has placed on you to create big positive impact through your people? are you up for the challenge? and if not, what are you doing about it?
Tension among human beings is inevitable. How do you comfortably navigate through people’s complexities? How do you demonstrate direction? How do you deploy the best resources needed for your people to do their best work?
Because having good intentions alone is not going to cut it…
Let me ask you, are you the right leader for this role and this team of people? is the group achieving its goals? and if they are not, are you blaming them or taking responsibility? do you know how to get to the root issue? do you know how to get everyone to work autonomously yet in great synch? Do you feel capable of delivering great value in your own role? do you own leadership? do you enjoy leading?
Do you know how to lead in a crisis, in uncertain times in an ongoing disruptive world? are you comfortable being decisive and visible? can you look ahead of the horizon in unusual times?
The choice is yours: leader and generalist or high performing specialist. And if you do, take your leadership seriously. Step up to the position. Learn to lead confidently and add value. Leadership has to be learnt and practised. If you haven’t asked for help, or your company has not offered it, it is time to start discussing how you can create bigger impact and greater results through the investment in leadership development.
The choice is yours: leader and generalist or high performing specialist.
We need strong leadership now more than ever before. This is not about how you start, but how you finish. Set yourself up for success and win long term.
Start where you are, and draft a roadmap to help you become the leader you are meant to be. Embrace the fact that most of us aren’t born leaders, we are made through hard work and dedication. Own it, and watch your efforts create massive positive impact on yourself, your people, your company and the world at large. If you choose to lead, take responsibility for guiding your people into a better future.
Leadership is tough, and yet it is one of the most rewarding legacies you can leave behind. Set the example, and watch the ripple effect take a life of its own.
Ready to get honest with yourself? Download my free “Questions Every Leader Should Think About” to start your journey of self-awareness and become an effective leader.
To your success,
Isabel
She specializes in high performance strategy, leadership development and building organizational culture to help leaders and their teams learn, grow and succeed.
Isabel is passionate about helping empower business leaders with the mindset, performance, skills and strategies that they need to get ahead.
More available on www.isabelvalle.com
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