Effective Leaders Develop Their Skills
When I was starting my professional career, I needed to develop my technical competencies in order to become proficient in the IT area I was hired for.
After several years I learned the skills, abilities, and talents to be a very good technician, but I needed more! I wanted to lead people and realized I did not possess the skill-sets necessary to be an effective leader.
Like so many other technicians, I was very good at my job as a technician, but when tapped for a leadership promotion, I was not ready.
It is not uncommon to promote individuals that are great technicians, but is this optimal? Newly promoted leaders are not always provided with the tools, mentorship and development opportunities to be effective.
Obtain Input
This is a process that may be done over time (and repeated annually), and there are various tools that will help address that input. Some areas you need to assess are explained in our Leadership Compass. These include how we make decisions, handle conflict, motivate and inspire others, and create and take action against our vision, mission and goals.
The optimal situation is to have input from various sources; consider colleagues, bosses, customers, vendor partners, and others. We sometimes cannot see ourselves and “how we show up”. It’s weird because if others see us clearly, why can’t we see ourselves?
Often when we receive the feedback we feel badly. This is okay as it means we care about how we are perceived by others, and that we desire to do well, and are hopefully willing to change!
Improve your effectiveness and levels of impact by having and communicating clearly defined vision, mission, and goals, and determine the behaviors needed for the destination you strive for. The Leadership Compass will help.
Contact us with your questions or for a consultation. Start your Leadership Improvement Process now!