Moving from Contributor to Leader Do You Have What it Takes?

Developing skills as a leader is never simple, easy or something that's done overnight or in a straight line. It's takes time, effort, focus and is often an unclear path, with many ups and downs as leadership skills are gained, mistakes are made, and new experiences lead to new ideas and actions. That journey and those collective and on going experiences are what build great leadership skills. If you are someone who has been a successful individual contributor, it's only natural to wonder if you can take your skills to the next level and lead others. Here, we'll help you identify some key qualities and competences that are necessary to move from contributor to a successful leader.

So, before you get overly excited to take on a leadership role, stop and ask yourself the following questions:

1. What's motivating me to be a leader? In order to effectively lead, you've got to be driven by something you care strongly about - a cause, a company, building a strong workforce... these are all good motivators.  It is not about a bigger paycheck!

2. What is the purpose of my leadership? What do you see as the result of your ability to lead others? Growing a company, creating a team with a legacy, turning younger workers into leaders themselves... think about what you'll want to look back on and feel a sense of having contributed.  Again, it's not about the money!

3. In what ways does the purpose of that leadership relate to the rest of my life? Being a leader isn't just about achievement in the workplace. Great leaders incorporate those skills into who they are, becoming leaders in the community as well as in business. Understand that leadership skills can propel you forward, but only if you embrace them as a part of who you are.

4. What behaviors do I need, or skills do I need to gain in order to be an effective leader? This takes a bit of self-reflection. What skills do you already possess that are propelling you toward a leadership role? Where are your weaknesses? Understanding yourself is the first step to becoming a great leader.

By responding to these questions honestly, you can better understand where you tend to look for your satisfaction and acknowledgement of your status as a leader. Seek others and get their feedback as they may see gaps and provide invaluable advise and insights to your journey. 

Making the transition from an individual contributor to a role that requires you to demonstrate new leadership skills is a difficult one. Some employers do a good job of assimilating new leaders into new roles by providing an assessment of leadership skills and behaviors that are important for your new role. They may also provide internal or external coaching resources to supplement the development from the assessment. If your organization does not have these capabilities, meet with your boss, HR department or mentor to discuss what new skills you need to develop and which ones you need to let go of.  Seek out and read books that can help in your transition. Bill George's True North, Marshall Goldsmith’s What Got You Here Will Not Get You There and Scott Eblin’s The Next Level Leader come to mind.

There are two key qualities that will have a profound impact on you as a leader. These two qualities, skills or competencies are having a high degree of Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence.

Authenticity is your ability to relate to others in an authentic, courageous and in a high integrity manner. It is the extent to which your leadership is an expression of your true genuine self and not masked by imitation, organizational politics, looking good and winning approval. Authenticity and integrity (along with trust) are the qualities most desired in a leader. People will align with and follow you because you practice what you preach. Your influence as a leader is not based on your position but it is based on influence being given to you by others because you act with integrity.

Leaders who demonstrate authenticity live the values that are most important to them. This enables them to effectively communicate their core values, which helps engender trust and respect because they put their high principles into practice every day. Aspiring leaders who have a high degree of Authenticity have the character and courage to do what is right. In addition, get explicit about the values that are important to you, the principles you will use in leading and the ethical boundaries that you will adhere to even under stress and great pressure. List the values that are important in your life and your leadership? Rank them in order of importance. Define them and then articulate the leadership principles that will demonstrate these values in action.

The second quality is Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others as well as your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships. It affects how you manage your behavior and actions and the behavior and actions of others. Emotional intelligence taps into the fundamental element of human behavior that is distinct from your intellect (IQ). There is no known connection between IQ and EQ; you simply cannot predict your EQ based on how smart you are.

I believe it is the single most important quality in a leader. It is a skill that can be learned and developed. The impact of EQ on your professional success is huge. Your EQ is the foundation for a host of critical skills that impacts most of everything you say and do each day. Critical skills include empathy, organizational awareness, self- confidence, adaptability, influencing, developing others, dealing with conflict and collaboration.

So, what is your EQ? There exist many Emotional Intelligence assessments that you can take to find out and books that you can read and study. Daniel Goleman’s Primal Leadership realizing the power of Emotional intelligence and Travis Bradberry’s Emotional intelligence 2.0 are excellent resources. Bradberry’s book allows you to take a self-assessment, which compares your scores to their database of other leaders who have taken the assessment. The report is simple to read and has some terrific suggestions for actions steps aspiring leaders can take to develop these skills.

If you are aspiring to become a leader and to take on more responsibilities, start with answering the questions “what motivates me to be a leader?” and “what is the purpose of my leadership?” Get help in transitioning into your new role by using the resources your organization has at your disposal or use some of the resources mentioned above on assessing your own skills and qualities of Authenticity and Emotional Intelligence. By doing so, it will help ensure your long-term success as a leader.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. How would you begin to break through your thoughts, emotions and actions to becoming a better leader? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.

How Inclusive Is Your Leadership?

Not so long ago, "diversity" was mostly a leadership buzzword, one that became nearly meaningless after it was tossed around as an end in and of itself. It was full of "political correctness." Smart companies began figuring it out and the movement earned more strategic importance with both internal and external audiences. As the movement expanded and created sustainability, the definition of diversity expanded to mean many things. Today, we know that diversity must be paired with inclusion, and that it's not a goal but a process. Even more importantly, smart companies that want to be able to compete in today's global marketplace know that every leader has to embrace the concept of making the most of every stakeholder's contribution. That means showing leaders how to face the challenges of diversity head-on, and teaching them to do the things that improve diversity and inclusion and make them an operational reality.

And well, okay, that all sounds good, but how can a well-intentioned company of any size make that happen? Creating better leaders that are equipped to face the challenges of diversity and inclusion head-on is no small task. We cannot enforce this accountability on our leaders, it has to come from within that draws on motivations and values in taking real ownership. It's accountability by choice where leaders are able to improve the company's outlook on diversity (and make it an operational reality), and propel the company forward into greater success.

So, where does a plan for leadership inclusion and diversity and begin? For the organization it begins at the top. If the CEO is not driven and focused on the the importance of this strategy then results are typically compromised. Once the top has driven the vision then the operational and tactical elements follow next. However, as leaders we need to create our own understanding and accountability about driving our own plan to be a more inclusive leader. At least for now, here are four to set the organizational table (they can easily be incorporated into an personal plan).

1. Establish a Leadership Council on Diversity and Inclusion ~ The first step should be establishing a leadership council or group, of whatever size suits the organization, to oversee the program, and really champion the concept of inclusion: every stakeholder feels engaged and connected to the goals and vision of the company.

2. The Strategic Priorities ~ The Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council should then establish strategic priorities, for instance, is recruitment a good focus area, or should the Council work to educate and inform internally first? Is it a priority to educate internal leaders to help them learn to practice inclusion in their every-day dealings with employees? Do leaders need to be taught to capitalize on the talents of their team members, or is that element already in place? These types of questions will not only help the Council establish a game plan, but will also help measure success later.

3. Leadership Training ~ Next, the Leadership Council will need to establish a clear and consistent way of training every member of the organization on these ideas. Leaders should be trained first, and team members that report to those leaders second. Training may include video, online, or in-person training. Additionally, the diversity & inclusion training should include measurement tools. These performance indicators could include surveys, course tests, feedback groups, or any measure determined as an effective tool by the Leadership Council.

4. Market & Promote ~ Another important part of a Diversity & Inclusion operating plan is a way to communicate and promote the plan – and the results - both internally and externally, at all levels. The Leadership Council could think of this element as being similar to a marketing campaign – how to best promote the efforts of the group and share the results. This communication could take the form of an internal website, a printed newsletter, or even email messages. Whatever method the Leadership Council determines is best, it's important that it always remind everyone of the strategic goals and inform leaders and employees on how the company is progressing toward them.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. How would you begin to break through your thoughts, emotions and actions to becoming a better leader? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.

"Everything Rises & Falls Based on Leadership"

 
John Maxwell says everything rises and falls based on leadership. Do you agree? How would you rate your leadership abilities and the success you are having?

Leadership needs to be studied, understood, put into practice, without fear, and honed to perfection. It is a constantly moving set of skills that should be fun and challenging for you. Over the years, I have watched, whom I consider effective /great leaders and picked up, what I believe, are some of the most effective leadership traits and incorporated them into my leadership plan. I am still a work in progress, as I hope all leaders reading this are too.

Here are seven traits of leadership I've learned by watching leaders who exhibited them:

Vision ~ This is the ability to see the future. The Bible says without vision, the people perish. I've learned to focus on one thing and simply work in that direction when I didn't have any idea what do. Somehow, a way is found. A vision will lead to a plan and a plan can be communicated to those that matter. What time of day do you do your best thinking. How can you tab into your inner self, those higher levels of energy were there is non-judgment, absolute joy and creation?

Problem-solving ~ Leadership is more than a huge idealistic vision. A leader must also have problem-solving skills. No matter what you do, problems develop, and it's up to the leader to figure out what's wrong and to fix it. Dr. Mark Rutland, is a terrific problem solver, whose book ReLaunch has wonderful word pictures for diagnosing problems. When nothing happens, he says the gears have rusted shut and the leader must grease them to get them moving. Mark describes the leader as the air traffic controller that decides which planes to land now and which ones to keep circling until there's time and money to let them land.

Constant Growth & Development ~ A leader must constantly grow and develop their craft. Of course, we know that healthy things grow. An organization can't grow, however, unless it's healthy and the leader is also growing. Change in this world is constant due to technology. In a culture that seems to be shifting beneath our feet, a leader must grow or perish.

Motivation & Communication ~ Warren Bennis, an authority on organizational development, leadership and change said this, "A leader does not just get the message across ~ a leader is the message!" A leader must be able to motivate and tell great stories. That's what gets people to follow. You aren't a leader unless someone is following. Note: In order to effectively motivate others, they have to trust you. Build two way trust as quickly as you can and be your authentic self (or they will see right through you). You must be able to communicate in such a way it motivates people to do what must be done for the vision to be realized.

Tenacity ~ Winston Churchill famously said in the dark days of World War II, "Never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." I believe too many people give up before they have a chance to succeed. When people say I've been successful in the media world, I remind them that I'm too stubborn to quit and that somehow I simply lasted longer than many competitors that went out of business.

Generosity of Spirit ~ A leader must be a good and kind person. The old dictatorial leadership style went out long ago. But a leader can't be loosey-goosey or the organization becomes like the insane asylum run by the inmates! As a leader full of integrity and authenticity, don't you think for a moment that having a gentle demeanor represents soft leadership. If you're clear on your vision and how to lead others with a generosity of spirit, you'll be a unique and effective leader. We need more of you.

Comfortable In Their Own Skin ~ There are many leadership qualities that could be included in a list like this. So maybe this last item on my list will come to you as a surprise. But I feel that every leader must be confident, able to take criticism and not worry about the people who will be unhappy with any decision that's made. The leader must be comfortable in his or her own skin.

There you have it. Thank you for taking the time to read this. What do you think of these traits or skills on becoming an effective leader? How would you begin to break through your thoughts, emotions and actions to becoming a better leader? We would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Send me a note via email at brad@aperiocoaching.net or on Twitter @bparcells.