After more than 30 years in business, there is one thing I can guarantee: rapid change. The business world is like an ocean current: in constant motion as industries innovate and technology changes at an ever-increasing rate. The most effective leaders embrace change and don’t hesitate to adapt.
Change is constant, but I also believe there are foundational building blocks of leadership that stand the test of time. Regardless of the industry, company, or moment in time, the characteristics that most successful leaders embody remain the same.
I share my point of view on this topic of leadership in hopes that readers can learn from it. That being said, I also welcome different perspectives as I continually evolve as a leader myself. Whether it’s younger, aspiring leaders full of passion and curiosity or experienced leaders eager to sharpen their skills and approaches, I hope you will find this article useful and relevant.
Here are 12 keys to becoming an effective leader:
Make your own luck
Aspiring leaders find ways to be persistent without being obnoxious. It’s perfectly fine to stay in your lane and do your existing job well while also pushing the envelope to tackle new opportunities in areas that interest you. If you want something, ask for it . . . go get it. Don’t always wait for your career to happen. Make it happen.
Follow your passion
It’s hard enough to be an effective leader, but if you’re not passionate about the area you’re leading, how can you empower and motivate teams around you? Focus on following your passion(s), with the first being to discover exactly what that is. If you aren’t sure, take steps to identify it by gaining new experiences in different areas. Perhaps it’s a certain industry, a specific area of technology, or a desire to see the world. And remember: Your passion(s) can change over time.
Improve your public speaking
Without the confidence to speak in front of groups, it’s tough to effectively lead large teams. There are opportunities to enhance your public speaking experience—if you know where to look. Whether it’s a presentation during an “all-hands call” or one to a client or project team, it’s important to create and seize opportunities to speak and share experiences in front of large groups.
Be a positive influence
My grandmother and father both taught me something very important, which is to make the effort to always be positive with a glass-half-full mentality. In the business world, habitual negativity is a slippery slope. Effective leaders shift their mindset to invoke positivity in those around them. Something that may have been an “issue” or “problem” can instead be an opportunity to improve. A positive influence is infectious—and makes the work more enjoyable for you and your employees.
Be humble
Building on the previous point about being a positive influence, the most effective leaders understand the importance of humility. You may be the smartest person in the room, but others should come to that conclusion on their own by letting the work, results, and performance speak for themselves, rather than hearing you talk about how great you are. Leaders with big egos and self-centered behavior eventually hit a wall.
Be well-rounded
While it’s important to become an expert in something, effective leaders are also well-rounded and avoid demonstrating that they have a “tragic flaw” that will slow down their career progression. Effective leaders tend to be “good or better” in most or all categories of leadership, such as people management, the ability to sell and deliver or produce results, interpersonal skills, relationship-building skills, and more. You don’t necessarily need to be the best at something to succeed as a leader. However, in my experience, you do need to be well-rounded.
Prioritize interpersonal skills
Relationships are everything. For the countless projects I have worked on during my career, I have always strived to get along well with every person on the team. That starts with being genuine, investing time in these relationships, respecting all opinions, and being mindful of how you treat people. In many cases, it’s not what you say but how you say it that makes a lasting impression. Regardless of your role or experience level, effective leaders have the interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with anyone at any time.
Commit to deadlines
I’m a huge believer in work-life balance. However, there are times in one’s career when deadlines are more important than having an “8 to 5” mentality. Effective leaders find a way to achieve balance while also finding ways to meet important deadlines. Being committed to deadlines in addition to effort builds credibility and shows stakeholders that you are reliable and trustworthy, which often leads to additional responsibilities.
Take care of YOU
While extra effort is needed in certain circumstances, nothing is more important than taking care of your own mental, physical, and spiritual health and well-being. Each person will have their own unique approach, but finding this balance across mind, body, and spirit will keep effective leaders sharp, focused, and able to sustain their positive impact in the long term.
Keep reskilling
Whether it’s training, reading, or side projects, even the most senior leaders never stop learning. The journey for growth and development is ongoing, and effective leaders will always continue reskilling and finding ways to improve. Particularly now, in 2022, when technology is changing faster than most humans are capable of adapting, if you aren’t a continuous learner, you will eventually be left behind.
Be self-sufficient
In the early years of a career journey, employees often require supervision while completing their day-to-day tasks, and that’s totally fine for a reasonable period of time. However, one of your early career goals should be to demonstrate that you can handle a role with minimal supervision. Those who have managers that are confident in their abilities as an “independent, value-added worker” will be early targets for promotions. If you’re independently capable, a next obvious step will be to lead and guide others.
Become an expert in something
Rotational assignments are great to help those who are trying to figure out their career passion and direction. However, at some point, it helps to become a subject matter expert. For example, if you are working in the data, analytics, and AI space, you may have exposure to data transformation, business intelligence, data science, machine learning, or advanced AI technologies. But, eventually specializing in one or more of these areas will become increasingly important as you work towards becoming a manager and leader.
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