I recently had the opportunity to attend a training entitled “Exploring Leadership.” The purpose of the training is to help people who are interested in leadership determine whether it’s something they want to pursue. As a part of the training, three officers from the company’s leadership team did a fireside chat. This was an amazing opportunity for everyone in the class to ask questions and get frank answers about what leadership entails.
There were so many golden nuggets from this chat that I thought it would be useful to share with anyone who is already a leader or is interested in becoming one.
Be so good at your job that you make it look effortless
This is not the first time I have heard this advice. I read a book called “Unapologetically Ambitious” by Shellye Archambeau, and she said nearly the exact same thing. In fact, a lot of the advice from this fireside chat closely echoes many of the messages in her book. The idea is that you should become the absolute best that you can be at your current job.
No one is ever truly ready
Almost everyone, CEOs and executives included, have faced the dreaded “imposter syndrome.” It’s common to feel this way, especially when taking on a significant new set of responsibilities. Most people have some self-doubt, and you must trust yourself. You might not have all the skills you need to do the job now; you will learn as you do the job, and that’s okay!
It’s uncomfortable at the beginning because you’re new at the job
Whenever anyone starts a new job – it doesn’t matter what job it is – it’s always uncomfortable. That’s because it’s new. The process of going from a novice to an expert does not happen overnight and it takes time to master new things. So, get comfortable with being uncomfortable – it goes with the territory.
Work/life balance is a choice – family first
You must be conscious of your choices between work and life. More now than ever before in history, the lines have blurred. But your choices matter. While what you do in your profession is important, it’s never as important as your family, and the good companies recognize that. However, it’s your responsibility to be explicit in deciding how you spend your time.
Make lists
Making lists of the tasks you need to do and prioritizing them – then focusing on the highest priority things first each day is a way to ensure you’re working on the right things. Items further down the list aren’t as important and it’s okay if they don’t get done that day.
Master your desk (literally and figuratively)
It was intriguing to hear our panel of executives talk about mastering your desk. Initially, I took this to mean your literal desk – that you should have a tidy, organized desk. But they meant more than that. While having a clean desk is great, if you don’t have the matching mental model, a spotless desktop won’t matter much.
You are always on stage
When you’re a leader, people are always watching you. Things you could get away with saying as an individual contributor might not be appropriate when you have an audience. So as a leader, you’ll need to be more conscious of your surroundings and what you say.
Your relationships with others will change
If you take over leading a team of people who used to be your peers, your relationship with them will change. I’ve experienced this firsthand – a former peer became my leader, and the dynamics shifted. I considered us friends prior to her promotion, but afterward, it got a little more formal and less friendly; it can be uncomfortable and awkward, and there will be a transition period as you establish a new and different relationship.
Be authentic
You need to be able to be yourself and bring your real and whole self to work. People will know if you’re faking it. It is fortunate, our executives reflected, that things in the world have changed. It used to be that if you had tattoos, but also wanted to come across as professional, you would have to hide your body art. Nowadays, people are more likely to have tattoos than not, so society and corporate cultures have adapted to let people be more of their authentic selves. Thank goodness, right?!
Be transparent (but keep confidences)
Honesty is the best policy, so share as much as you can with your team. But you also must keep some things private and confidential as a leader. You will know things that others have done, and you need to be careful about how you handle sensitive information. If you’re not used to holding sensitive information, this can be a tough thing to do; if you can’t manage it, you might want to re-think being a leader.
Engage your team
You’re not just some army general barking orders at people, who will promptly do exactly what you say. Today’s workplaces are dynamic and full of multiple generations of people who all need to work together to be successful. Leaders are not a separate and unequal part of the whole – they are also part of the team, and their participation is essential. As a leader, you must engage with your team – get to know them, care about them, and support them.
Surround yourselves with a team who fill the gaps of your weaknesses
One of the executives on the panel suggested knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are, and another added on saying that you should know yourself and build a team around you that complements your strengths and fills the gaps where you have weaknesses.
Seeing your team grow is the greatest reward
The question that I asked of the executives was “what is the most rewarding aspect of being a leader?” My favorite response was “seeing my team members grow.” This answer was echoed by all three of the execs, and I can attest that helping and supporting others in accomplishing their own goals (whether personal or professional) is incredibly rewarding. I’ve trained and mentored many people, and nothing makes me happier than seeing them succeed.
It’s a journey, not a destination
Just like life itself, leadership is a journey (not a destination). Once you become a leader, you don’t just stop – you haven’t arrived. You need to keep growing and learning, just like anyone else. This can be hard for some people. Once they’ve achieved a certain title or level, some people want to rest on their laurels, but to do that is to commit career suicide. There’s always something changing in the world, and there are always new things to learn.
Master time management
Getting control over your calendar is key. As a leader, you know you’re more effective when you have fewer meetings on your calendar (because you’re successfully delegating your team and trusting them to get things done). Try time blocking, setting expectations with your team, and knowing whether you truly need to attend a meeting (or not).
For remote workers – even if you’re not here, you’re here
During COVID, we all found out just how effective we can be working remotely, even leaders. But the execs offered a few tips for remote workers: be readily available, be present, and make it feel like you’re at the office, even if you’re not. In my experience, this means you must be more intentional about building relationships when working remotely. You’re not going to just bump into someone in a virtual environment – you need to seek out interactions.
Don’t always just talk about work – get to know people
Our company is a relationship-based company. When you’re working with people, you shouldn’t always just “get to business” and instead should take some time chatting with people, learning about them and getting to know them better. As a leader of a team, you should know about each of your people’s personal lives – who their spouses are, what their hobbies are, what they care about, their kids’ names and ages, etc.
Have emotional intelligence
Having emotional intelligence is so important and often overlooked as a crucial part of being an effective leader. You need to be aware of your own self and feelings along with those of others. This does not come naturally to everyone, and oddly enough, it’s a characteristic missing in a lot of leaders. If it doesn’t come naturally, you should focus on improving your EQ, because it’s critical.
Get 360-degree feedback
Getting real, raw, 360-degree feedback is humbling and eye-opening. It’s a way to really take your team’s feedback so you know what things you need to work on as a leader. Receiving and hearing feedback can sometimes be brutal – it can hurt. But by being open to feedback instead of shutting it out, you can better perceive how others see you and figure out what you might need to change to be a more effective leader.
Final Thoughts
I could have listened to our executives answer questions and share their advice for hours, but we had limited time with them. That said, I feel that the counsel they gave us was incredibly wise, and I hope you agree!