Author: Antony Xavier
Congratulations !! You've just been promoted; you're feeling great ! and at times a bit nervous right? After a long wait you have finally got promoted to the position you were waiting for and its time to lead. You want to give your best to your new role. You want everything to be perfect the first time - with no mistakes. Nice intentions, but as we all know, highly unrealistic. People are fallible; mistakes will inevitably be made.We think and talk a lot
about Leadership and how to develop the Leadership skills. No one is a born
Leader, It is developed. Remember that it does not emerge overnight; it takes
time and practice, so don’t expect too much of yourself too soon. Being a
leader isn't easy - it requires commitment for the long haul. It's not
something we can just accomplish and then move on. Being a leader requires hard
work, sacrifice, commitment and a willingness to grow ourselves.
First take time to
honestly analyze yourself, learn to understand yourself, it’s the first step to
understanding others, take the help of a mentor or use questioners or tests
that are widely available in the market taking these steps will give you the opportunity
to test out your responses to identify your leadership style. In turn, you’ll
then be able to evaluate what has worked and what hasn't, identify your
strengths and your areas of improvement and helps you plan what to do or avoid
doing next time.
Understand the Different Facets of Effective Leadership
There are different
types of leadership styles. Think of three shepherds. The first opens the gate
and walks through, allowing the flock to follow—this shepherd leads from the Front. Another stands behind the sheep and
pushes or guides them through, demonstrating a supportive leadership style. The third moves from front to back and
sometimes to the middle of the flock, demonstrating an interactive leadership style. For leaders to exist, there must be
followers, and the needs of followers change depending on the context. Knowing
how to apply different leadership styles can help you respond equally
effectively in many different kinds of situations.
Leadership Competencies
can be broadly classified into three categories:
♦Business Acumen your ability and keenness and
quickness in understanding and dealing with a business situation in a manner
that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
♦Self-Awareness: your leadership style is the means
by which you communicate and mastering the same. The more self-aware you are,
the more effectively it will work for you, ask yourself what you like, what you
preferences are, what your goals are, how your team perceives you and your
goals.
♦Employee Engagement is termed here as your ability to
building and sustaining employee in their work environment. Paul Marciano,
Ph.D., in his book Carrots and Sticks
Don’t Work. He writes that an engaged employee:
♦Brings New Ideas to Work
♦Is Passionate and Enthusiastic about Work
♦Takes Initiative
♦Actively
seeks to Improve Self, Others and the Business
♦Consistently
exceeds Goals and Expectations
♦Is Curious and Interested; asks Questions
♦Encourages
and Supports Team Members
♦Is Optimistic and Positive; Smiles
♦Overcomes Obstacles and Stays Focused on Tasks; is Persistent
♦Is Committed to the Organization
Good leadership skills
are essential to career development. "The Key to Successful Leadership Today is Influence, not Authority," said Ken Blanchard. If you want to
improve your leadership skills, think about what actions you can take to be
more influential.
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