How many of us have found ourselves in leadership roles either because of our strong technical skills, our tenure with the organisation or perhaps because of our solid interpersonal skills? At the beginning, it is new, flattering, exciting and perhaps a little bit overwhelming. We have transitioned from a place where our success is dependent on ourselves as individual contributors to one where our success is dependent on the collective contributions of an entire team. There are many leadership development courses, workshops, books and support that will assist with this journey and transition but it is hard to know where to start. Remember that leadership is fundamentally about getting others to perform, to do things effectively and efficiently. As a leader, your behaviour, motivation and leadership style will have a significant impact on your team members, so it is important that you get this right from the very beginning.
I have developed a few top tips based on my knowledge and experience of hiring, training and developing people into leadership roles which I hope will help to get the most out of your team and create an environment and culture that they will thrive within.
- Increase awareness (of self and others)
- Lead by example
- Earn trust by giving it
- Be available
- Ask for feedback
- Always be learning
- Be an active listener
- Be organised and plan ahead
- Get to know your team
- Be the boss, not a friend
- Focus on the big picture
- Hire for EQ, train for IQ
- Feedback in private, praise in public
- In victory lead from the back, in crisis lead from the front
- Communicate clearly and consistently
- Set clear goals and expectations
- Schedule regular, consistent one-on-one meetings with each team member
- Focus on impact and behaviour
As a final top tip, when I start leading a new team, I always meet with each team member individually and ask them three questions: What do you do? What could you do? What stops you from doing it? There is so much powerful information in the answers that you receive!
Contact us today to learn about our various leadership development courses. Ciara@pinpointingpotential.com
