Today’s Question: “What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?”
Have you ever taken music lessons as a kid or as an adult? Did you only take one lesson? Were you so great that you never needed another one? In most cases the answer is no. You need many more lessons and lots of practice to get really good. Leadership is the same way. You don’t just magically know everything because someone gave you the title of leader. So what should you do to become a better leader?
First look at what is important to you and what kind of leader you want to be. Think about the leaders you admire and what you can learn from them to incorporate into your own leadership. Talk to other leaders about their experiences and how they develop themselves. Read books, articles, listen to podcasts, watch Ted Talks and find a mentor or coach to help you. There are so many resources available to you now that you can leverage.
Focusing on your own development helps you learn new things, but it also helps you to be motivated and excited to share with others. Your team benefits by learning from you and you will learn from them as well. You will build confidence and people will want to come work for you. Your management will see that you are a great people developer and give you more opportunities to lead.
You may feel that you have no time to spend on your own development. You do have time, but it may take some re-prioritization of other things to make it happen. Do not put yourself last on your to do list. You need to evolve and grow through learning and practicing new skills. Try new things out and see if they make a difference. If they do, then keep doing them and if they don’t, then you don’t have to do them anymore. No one has to know that you are experimenting with these changes unless you want to tell them. Ask for feedback along the way to see if anyone is noticing anything different in your leadership. Focus on doing small things every day to intentionally grow your leadership and you will soon see the leader that you envisioned appear.
Are you ready to focus on your own development? Coaching can accelerate your learning to help you reach your goals faster. Set up time and let’s get started today! http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/