Political, economic, social and technological influence us daily in our businesses and our everyday lives, something that never changes is the need for great leaders.
Vince Lombardi, said, “Leaders are made, they are not born” is exactly right.
Leaders are made through by development, coaching, providing feedback, being observed and constructive feedback given to build on strengths and work on opportunities. If you want to exceed and excel you need to be in environment that supports and allows this, many organisations say they support growth and development, but do they really?
Organisations may set this as their goal and target but it’s the people that work for the organization that make this happen, current leaders need to be dedicated and commit time to develop their people and it should be noted not everybody is a “coach” and is able to develop leaders, it takes more than just being knowledgeable about your area of expertise.
Is your manager / mentor developing you? If not and you are serious about becoming or developing yourself to become a better leader of people, then find somebody that can support you in your desire and quest. Great leaders are people that help others develop and grow themselves.
Action plans are a great tool to keep on track but so often they are written and then put away in your desk or on the computer and only reviewed once in a while. How does that help you reach your goal? Many of us have action plans tucked away not assisting us, my advice throws them away and change your mind set and just do it.
I have outlined some simple steps that if you follow them, you will develop yourself to become a leader or enhance your leadership skills.
- Mentor. Identify somebody you admire and has a proven track record of leadership that you know would be committed to help you succeed and become your mentor, your own personal coach. (They don’t necessarily have to be within your organization),
- Record . Keep a record of your achievements and failures; spend 15 to 30 minutes at the end of your week reflecting on how you did as a leader. What do you need to improve on ? share your thoughts with your new found coach
- Feedback. Ask for feedback to give you a 360 degree view , then action the feedback , feedback is only great if you do something about it
- Observation. Have your mentor observe you in action and provide constructive feedback
- Carry on. Keep going don’t ever stop repeat this process
Leadership is not always about having the solution to problem, or being a subject expert. It’s about being able to skilfully guide and coach people to use their knowledge and skills to be their best and deliver the results required.
