If you’ve ever been a woman in a boardroom full of men, the chances are you know what bad leadership looks like. I’ve been called a loser. I’ve been raged at for showing someone up just by being good at my job. I could go on. We know who we don’t want to be as leaders. How do we become the leaders we do want to be?
Developing as a leader takes work. Consistent work. As soon as you think you know it all, you’ve created a real problem for yourself. Leadership development is essential to business growth.
Here’s what it’s all about…
What is leadership development?
Leadership development is the process of expanding your capabilities to support your team and achieve success in the business. This takes a layered approach starting with working on yourself and how you show up. Then you need to consider how you show up for your team and help them to grow their capabilities in their roles. You’ve also got the business strategy element. You have a wide view of the organisation and the responsibility to make sure all the individuals in your team are working towards the same goal respectively.
There are many theories and methodologies within leadership development. The point is that you show up as your best. Your team shows up as their best. Strategic progress is being made. That makes getting results the default.
The impact of a leader on the business
As a leader, you have a unique role. Some people mistake it as synonymous with a manager but it’s not the same. Managers organise and execute a given vision. A leader’s work is deeper than that. They set the tone of the work environment, have a say in the implemented vision, inspire and motivate their team, and enable individual and collective success.
It’s not just about ticking boxes and hitting KPIs. It’s about holistic and sustainable success where each team member can reach their full potential and find fulfilment in their work while also serving your ideal client.
You have a massive impact on your organisation. That’s why leadership development is so important. Your role being as dynamic as it is, a commitment to learning and improving is essential.
Facilitating leadership development
As a leader myself and having worked with a variety of leaders, here are three key steps to continual and positive leadership development.
Develop a personal brand
What’s your style of leadership? You don’t have to rip your approach from a bestselling book to be a good leader. Having a more nuanced approach collected from a variety of experiences often works best. It depends on your personality, the organisation you’re operating within and the people you want to attract and retain.
Your leadership style is your own. Approach it with curiosity and adaptability while sticking by what you stand for and believe in.
Focus on steady progress
Sometimes the fastest risers are the ones who will fall from grace first. There is no need to rush results or even rush your process of defining who you are as a leader. Making steady progress with the outward results you achieve and refining your capabilities is the best route for you to take.
If you’re moving too fast, you won’t have time to reflect, learn lessons and take your experiences into account. Leadership takes continuous work so there isn’t an endpoint for you to meet in a set time period.
Equip yourself with tools and skills
What do you and your team need to progress? These might be very practical and tangible moves like facilitating regular team meetings and one to ones or investing in an online platform to bring a remote team together.
Or you could benefit from the skill of emotional intelligence, enabling you to create a positive work environment even during challenging times. Looking after your own wellbeing is a skill everyone should have but it’s not one that’s ever taught.
Through communication and self-awareness, identify what you and your team need and be willing to invest in it.
Whether you have been on your leadership journey for decades or you’re fresh in the role, there’s always something new to learn. Change takes practice to implement so sometimes it’s actually reinforcement we need.
You’re already ahead of the game having an awareness of the need to work on your leadership development to take your team to new heights. I’d love to chat about what’s next in your leadership development journey and guide you on your way. Book a free consultation for insights and ideas for how you can facilitate your business to accelerate.