Are You Ready for a Leadership Role? - The 10 Questions to Ask BEFORE You Take That Step!
A leader is the one in the charge, the person who convinces other people to follow. A leader inspires confidence in other people and moves them to action. Vocabulary.com
Wow. With all the changes COVID19 has brought, the one question that has worried many of us is, how can we continue to move our career forward when we’re already trying to juggle so many new, uncharted responsibilities at once? And the answer is…total self honesty.
For some of our leaders stepping into the role didn’t come at the most convenient time in their lives but for all who succeeded they knew they were ready for it. So how do you know if moving into that leadership role is the right move for you?
Take a moment to answer the 10 most important career questions you’ll ever ask yourself. (And probably the most uncomfortable.)
How well do I know myself? The most effective leaders are in touch with who they are and how they feel—especially during this important transition time in their lives.
How flexible am I? Moving into a leadership role can be a huge stretch. By embracing change rather than fighting to maintain the status quo you can avoid “pulling” something.
How do I handle failure? Good leaders fail frequently. Rather than viewing failure as a shame and a negative, it’s best to see it as a valuable learning tool.
Do I have a victim mentality? True leaders do not blame staff or bosses for any given situation but take 100% responsibility – win or lose.
How’s my work/life balance now? Being out of balance in either direction makes for less potent leading. Will taking on new responsibilities throw that balance off?
What do I stand for? Your actions will be seen by those you lead as “what it takes to be successful.” Are you the role model you want others to aspire to be?
How committed am I to learning? Leaders are always striving to learn, grow and improve. Do you have the time and commitment to invest in growing your skills?
How much of a people-pleaser am I? Leaders have to make decisions that might make some people unhappy. This can be rough if you’re the type that wants to make everyone happy all the time.
How confident am I? Confidence doesn’t equal arrogance. Confident leaders don’t have to micromanage or crow about their achievements. They inspire others to have confidence in themselves.
Why am I interested in being a leader? Beyond the obvious “perks” be honest and consider what aspects of the leadership role are important to you. Try “interviewing” people who are respected leaders in your company/field/community to find out what they like and don’t like about their leadership role. You may hear things you hadn’t considered.
OK, while being brutally honest with yourself can sometimes hurt (especially in the ego department), in the long run it will pay off. You owe it to yourself and those you lead to be the best you can be. Being a truly great leader is rarely as easy as it looks from the outside but making it look easy is what great leaders do.
Remember, Leadership is not about titles or the corner office. It’s about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and to be courageous. The world is desperate for braver leaders. Is it your time to step up?
As always, our goal is to help you move forward on your path to becoming a great, more brilliant leader. And as we’ve said countless times one of the keys to great leadership is effective communication. To help you do that we’ve got a FREE Gift from the Brilliant Leader Program. Our Communication Clues, Connect Like a Pro is quick guide designed for leaders who want to connect and communicate effectively with those they lead.
Next week we’ll begin our series, The 6 Key Essentials ALL Brilliant Leaders Know. This is a part of a core module in our Brilliant Leader Program. As one of the program’s graduates said, “I had more leadership and life ‘AHA-moments’ during this module than I ever knew were possible.”
‘Top 10 Questions’ - content used under license, © 2008 Claire Communications