You Are Already A Leader: Here Is How To Unleash Her
Have you ever wondered why it seems easy for some people to step into being leaders, and how they seem to slide into leadership roles with so much ease?
Well, read on!
One of the most important things to note about becoming a leader in any area of life is that no one appoints you to lead; you simply choose to become a leader.
There are two types of leadership you can choose to step into. There is thought leadership– where you suggest ideas, garner support, and see them through. There is also team leadership– where you motivate people towards a common goal. The two are intertwined and the advice below applies to both types.
Here are some helpful tips on how to unleash your potential as a leader.
Small Leadership is a Big Opportunity
Take any opportunity to demonstrate leadership; from organising team bonding activities (although remember you are not the ‘office mum’ so organise a social council and split the work with other colleagues!), to proposing a pilot to test a new way of delivering client product updates or starting a non-profit (like me). This will give you a track record of leadership so you feel more comfortable raising your hand. Get some practice and others will see you as a leader, offering you different opportunities as a result.
Followers Are Leaders Too
Think about it, a leader is only a leader if people follow her direction or buy into her idea– I call these ‘follow leaders’. There are two points to take from this reality:
- First, invest in relationships at work (relationship investments should be your #1 priority in life, but that is a topic for another blog post). Brainstorm with and support your colleagues however you can. When you propose an idea, they are more likely to listen to you and collaborate with you on it, if they know you always have their best interest at heart.
- Second, when a colleague identifies a problem or proposes an idea that you believe in– show your own leadership by being the ‘follow leader’ with your own conviction in their idea.
Now, to go to your next level, as an exceptional leader:
Make it Clear You Believe In Yourself and Your Ideas
I know you believe in yourself and I know you want the growth and fulfilment in your career that usually leads us down a path to leadership. I am not going to tell you to start believing in yourself– I am certain you do, and you should.
Where you might use a boost is in communicating in a way that shows you believe in yourself. That is, avoid using filler words or sounds such as “like”, “hmm”, and “I think”. You can practice this by speaking for 30 seconds about any topic with a friend, and this friend can make a loud noise if you use a filler word.
Present your thoughts concisely and in a structured manner, for example by using “two points” and enumerating them. Speak slowly and use plain words– don’t fall into the trap of wanting to demonstrate your intellectual superiority by using advanced vocabulary. There’s no point if your message doesn’t get across. Speaking slowly and using plain words is especially important if you work in a multilingual environment.
Finally, to be able to apply all those tips in action, you need to get comfortable with silence. Your brain will need time to process the question, structure your answer, and then take a beat so it does not sound like you are rambling your exact thoughts instead of a thoughtful idea. A pause will feel long to you and won’t to your listeners. Your ideas are worth the wait.
Don’t be afraid to use the words “lead” and “leader” when referring to yourself
Something I still struggle with. My career coach suggested I use “expert leadership in…” for my LinkedIn tagline and I freaked out. Why though? I have 10 years of experience in my field, it is fair to say I am an expert and yes, I lead teams and projects and ideas every day!
Therefore, whether you are the only person on the project or you work with a team– that makes you the project leader! Use “Team Leader” and “lead” (the verb) when you write or speak about yourself. It is a virtuous cycle of honesty about your current and future capabilities.
Do Not Let Them Get You Down
Look, someone is gonna try to shut down an idea or somehow shake your confidence. Sometimes on purpose, most often not.
Story time: I am presenting to a group of execs on my client account. I am explaining how our platform performance works and one of the executives asks a clarifying question. I think to myself “awesome, they are listening”. I start to respond with an analogy to better illustrate my idea and he cuts me off and shouts “I’ve been in the business 20 years, you don’t need to tell me that”.
I shrivelled and said, “I’m so sorry”. But looking back at the situation now: I was the expert leader in the room and he asked me a question– the audacity! I of course should have shown I believe in myself and said something like “I hope that answered your question” or said nothing (silence is so powerful, let them sit in their own shitty behavior, it works wonders).
I have to say, my colleague reached out to me afterward and told me it was not okay, and that my answer was helpful to his question. All that to say– some people will try to get you down, others will lift you up and the best way to get better at handling naysayers is to know those experiences are coming. They will serve you in your journey, so welcome them, and rise above.
Conclusion
You are a leader and there are leadership opportunities all around you. Go get them! Yes, people may get you down (mostly inadvertently!) but more people are rooting for you: you are rooting for you, and I am doing the same. So that’s two for two. Onwards.
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About the author
Stefany Barker leads ecosystem engagements for Palantir Technologies (they’re hiring! Reach out to Stefany to learn more). She’s also created Girls in Tech — Switzerland as well as TechFace.ch. She now sits on the board of both.
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