My first role with direct reports was a new role that didn’t exist before. I had three direct reports and oversight of the daily activities of 22 indirect reports. It was a little overwhelming at the time. The great thing was I got to make up what the role would do, how it would work and define it all as I went along. For a first time leader of people, it was a little scary. There was no one else before me in the role to ask how it worked and what they did. I sought out the advice of others who had been leading people for a long time and they suggested I look at the things I liked and disliked about my former leaders. What were the traits that I liked and respected about them? What were the traits that I disliked about them? At the time, this was the best way that I knew for me to really focus on the traits that I wanted to emulate as a leader.
When I think about leaders historically, there are generally some traits that immediately come to mind. Confidence, authenticity, integrity and vision are a few of the big ones that most people would name. Peter Stark wrote about “The Top 10 Traits of a Confident Leader” which agrees with my list, but goes on to name some additional traits that I believe in as well.
As I took on that first leadership role, I had a few of these traits on the list, but I needed to develop them a lot! As I look back, I realize how much confidence my management had in me and the potential that I would figure it out. I am so grateful for the great role models that I had back then and their support during that transition.
Do you have someone on your team that has the potential to lead? Are you developing them to be ready to lead their own team? Have you thought about what kind of leader you want to be? What would you want others to say about your leadership? Ask your team, peers and management to share their view and provide you with feedback. This is a really good exercise to see if your leadership is in line with your values and the type of leader you want to be.
A lot of the clients that I work with are going through the similar challenges of leading a team. Working with me can help you move through that learning curve more quickly. If you would like my help to develop these traits and be a more confident leader, please set up time to work with me: http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/
