ebook Reach Your Leadership Potential

Transcription

1 ebook Reach Your Leadership Potential Develop skills and qualities to achieve your potential as a business leader

2 Strong leadership is both an inherent and a learned quality. As a business leader, it s important to maximize your skills and continually strive to reach that next level of success. In this guide, you will learn what defines your leadership style, common attributes of successful leaders and actions you can take to fully develop your leadership potential. TABLE OF CONTENTS: Challenge 1: Behave Like a Leader 3 Challenge 2: Develop Leadership Qualities 5 Challenge 3: Network for a Leadership Position 7 ebook: Reach Your Leadership Potential 2

3 Behave Like a Leader What do you value? The list of potential values is long, ranging from advancement to zest and including knowledge, excitement, wealth, recognition, challenge, joy, selfexpression, and many more. It s no secret that different people value different things, but have you ever stopped to think about the correlation between values and leadership? Your behavior, which includes everything from how you treat other people to how you make decisions, is shaped by your values. It s a natural phenomenon that those who connect with your values are likely to be attracted to you, and conversely, you may not get along with those whose values conflict with yours. Is it a good strategy to change your values to try to get along with everyone? Absolutely not. While your values may organically change over time, that happens because your needs have changed; it shouldn t occur at the behest of someone else, because that results in the opposite of being authentic, something all good leaders should strive to be. AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP WHAT MOTIVATES YOU AS A LEADER? What makes you tick? Gaining this understanding can mean the difference between success and failure as a leader and it s key to helping you feel in control, knowing why you do what you do. The starting point in this process is to determine what motivates you. Your primary driver may be found on this list: Gaining approval from experts. Making money. Succeeding on your own. Gaining respect from friends. Competing and winning. Working hard and excelling. Gaining recognition from peers and within your industry. Or, you may be motivated by something else. Regardless of what drives you, it s the basis for your values, and it will go a long way toward determining your success in the business world. As you grow to understand yourself and your values, you ll find decision-making is easier, as is surrounding yourself with likeminded people who will be drawn to your authentic self. Authentic leaders are role models for moral and fair behavior; they don t just talk the talk, but walk the walk behaving in ways that are consistent with their values. Their leadership style is transparent and they make realistic choices, understanding that those with similar values will follow them, while others may not. It all boils down to this: authentic leaders never apologize for their values and they have the courage to follow through on what they believe. ebook: Reach Your Leadership Potential 3

4 What makes you tick? Gaining this understanding can mean the difference between success and failure as a leader and it s key to helping you feel in control, knowing why you do what you do.

5 Develop Leadership Qualities If you ve successfully climbed the corporate ladder to become a leader, you may feel you ve made it and your days of being challenged are behind you. Nothing could be further from the truth, as it s one thing to be a leader, and something else entirely to be a successful leader. A successful leader is someone who has mastered the non-technical skills necessary to garner respect and motivate teams to succeed. It takes much more than being technically proficient to be a great leader. In addition, it s necessary to develop these five behavioral qualities: Connection Credibility Trust Influence Resiliency Connect & Communicate Developing a connection means leveraging your impact through your interactions using an effective communication style. Communicating successfully has a lot to do with how you re perceived by your peers, your team and your customers. To be a strong leader, you must be a good communicator. That includes understanding other people s communication styles and tailoring your messages accordingly and often adopting a learning mode by asking relevant questions while knowing which topics to avoid. Credibility Builds Authority Credibility means not only being seen as a great leader, but also as someone who is an authority and expert in a particular field. Developing it is often based on others perception of you and it requires four constructs according to Dr. G. Richard Shell, professor and director of the Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop at the University of Pennsylvania. Do people perceive you as: Developing Trust Is Critical Developing trust is one of the most critical capabilities required to be a successful leader. If people don t see you as believable, it s unlikely they re going to work hard for you or with you. There are a number of ways to strengthen people s trust in you: Tell both sides of the story Deliver on your promises Keep confidences Be consistent in your values Encourage the exploration of ideas (listen) Put others interests first Create an Influential Presence Being influential means having strong self-awareness, understanding how others see you and realizing you are judged the moment you enter a room. It also includes successfully assessing and navigating the unique needs and expectations of your peers, team, and customers as well as establishing mutual respect, aligning goals, and being authentic. The Value of Being Resilient Is being resilient an innate trait? It can be, but the good news is that it can also be learned. It s critical that leaders learn to control their emotions so as not to panic or confuse those who serve under them. Presenting a sense of calm is an important trait for all leaders to have, regardless of what external or internal stressors they face. LEADERS SET THE TONE FOR THE ORGANIZATION For leaders, it s critical that they understand how their teams take behavioral cues from them, and when they mirror a leader who possesses these five qualities, they will adapt easier to change, be more productive, and have a positive effect on coworkers and the business as a whole. A relevant authority (informal or formal)? An expert with relevant knowledge? Someone who s competent? Someone who can be trusted? ebook: Reach Your Leadership Potential 5

6 Developing trust is one of the most critical capabilities required to be a successful leader. If people don t see you as believable, it s unlikely they re going to work hard for you or with you.

7 Network for a Leadership Position Talent, focus and drive are three attributes that are needed to successfully climb the corporate ladder, but it s also important to have a strong network, and the best way to make those valuable contacts is through networking. A Harvard Business Review article authored by Herminia Ibarra and Mark Hunter, How Leaders Create and Use Networks, identified three different types of networking: Operational contacts made within an organization while working proficiently Personal contacts who enhance personal or professional development and reflect current and potential interests Strategic contacts who can support future priorities and challenges, including stakeholders inside and outside of an organization Employing all these networking approaches can be invaluable, especially if you seek to move from a managerial role to a position as a top leader. Tactical networking (operational) is a great way to create relationships and give back to those you believe can help you get ahead, while purposeful networking (strategic) has a broader focus and a more long-term objective. CULTIVATE YOUR NETWORK Consider every event you attend to be an opportunity for networking, but have a strategy; don t just walk around collecting and doling out business cards. If possible, identify one or two individuals as targets, or as an alternative, set a goal for the number of quality connections you wish to make. Be sure to follow up with those you wish to cultivate as members of your network. FIND A MENTOR One great way to initiate a relationship with someone who s higher up on the totem pole than you are is to ask that person to be a mentor. Most people will be quite flattered by this request and happy to oblige. Choose someone with whom you have an intellectual connection so the relationship will flow more naturally, and make sure you don t ask for too much of your mentor s time. GIVE BACK Another option to broaden your network is to get involved in causes you are passionate about, as you will meet likeminded people who have the potential to be great contacts. It s critical to be genuine in these situations and in all situations, for that matter as a lack of authenticity will always come through. The most successful networkers aren t necessarily those who join the most groups or know the most people; they re those who do the best job giving back, always asking what they can offer in any situation. This includes reciprocating when gifted with referrals and focusing on gaining knowledge and wisdom rather than expecting immediate results. IDENTIFY GATEKEEPERS While what you know is an important component of success, who you know is equally critical. With that thought in mind, here s one final piece of advice: as you journey up the ladder, take care not to judge people based on their titles, but on their roles and responsibilities instead. I ve found that gatekeepers, i.e., administrative assistants, are some of the most powerful people at organizations definitely worth having in your network. ebook: Reach Your Leadership Potential 7

8 The most successful networkers aren t necessarily those who join the most groups or know the most people; they re those who do the best job giving back, always asking what they can offer in any situation.

9 About Dr. Denise P. Federer Clinical psychologist and executive coach Dr. Denise P. Federer is the founder and principal of Federer Performance Management Group, LLC. She brings more than 20 years experience as a clinician, researcher, speaker, author and consultant to her work as a performance coach. Dr. Federer, who received her B.A. in Psychology from the Honors Program at the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Nova University, is an expert in stress management, health and wellness, communication styles, performance enhancement and motivational strategies. She has extensive experience providing guidance to leading U.S. firms and their executives and in private practice as a psychotherapist to couples, families and individuals an intense focus that has led to her interest and expertise in peak performance coaching and in the unique dynamics of closely held and family-owned businesses. Dr. Federer is a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a credentialed Professional Certified Coach (PCC). She has also received certificates in Family Business Advising and Family Wealth Advising. Her professional affiliations over the past twenty four years include the following: National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology American Psychological Association National Association of Women Business Owners National Association of Female Executives Society for Psychologists in Management For more information: VISIT CALL info@federerperformance.com