I recently googled “Leadership” and received 5.1 trillion results which is about double the number I received when I was writing my book just one and a half years ago. Considering the vast increase and information available, a case can be made that there are a lot of varying perceptions of leadership.
Considering that, how do you discover your leadership strength and how do you apply your strengths at work, so you feel valued and are valued by your organization?
Trying to emulate the leadership style of others is disingenuous and can lead to frustration. Everyone has different styles, education, experience, and values that make them unique and when applied in the right setting, adds to their success.
Here are a few tips to help you discover your unique leadership leverage:
Set aside time to reflect on your leadership experiences. What accomplishments are you most proud of? Where do you excel as a leader? What challenges have you overcome?
Ask for feedback. Seek input from your mentors, supervisor, peers, and even employees. Feedback from multiple perspectives helps you gain a more comprehensive view of your strengths and weaknesses and how they are perceived in the workplace. It can also identify new areas where you can flourish.
Take assessments. There are hundreds of leadership tools available that can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses. I use TTI Success Insights that help you discover and clarify how you like to behave at work, important motivators, which leadership competencies are well developed, insight into your emotional intelligence, and other valuable information. Contact me if you are interested in learning more.
Create a personal mission statement. Be intentional and write a statement that encompasses your preferences and your values. Use it as a compass for decision making and a guide for your leadership interactions.
Identify your leadership style. Based on the feedback and self-reflection, what is your unique leadership style? Determine how your leadership style can be leveraged to achieve positive results for the organization.
Be clear on goals and priorities. Consider your organization’s goals and priorities and how your unique strengths as a leader can contribute to achieving these goals.
It is easy to look at this list and give it a mental nod but do nothing. I challenge you to take the time to complete these six steps and see the difference in your effectiveness.
I offer a FREE program, Building a Leadership Foundation, which is a self-paced 5-day challenge and should only take 5 - 15 minutes per day. At the end of the week, you will have created your personal mission statement, identified your values, developed goals that help you live on mission, and created an action plan.
If you are interested in completing the Building a Leadership Foundation challenge, simply click on the title to register or contact me and I’m happy to provide you with more information. I feel very passionate about leaders clarifying their purpose therefore this is a free gift and there is no marketing at all!
Leaders influence first by who they are, and then by what they do.
Linda Fisher Thornton
If I can be of assistance, contact me at JulieOlsen@workplaceadvancement.com or check out free resources at www.workplaceadvancement.com