Your Leadership Development: Where to Start
I was having lunch with a friend several months ago. Let’s call him Sam. During our conversation, I asked what topics he’d suggest for my blog on leadership. Things he’d like to read.
There was only one suggestion.
Where to start.
That surprised me a little because Sam’s a COO. He’s been in leadership roles for a decade or more. And he’s had success after success in his career.
But he’s never had a plan or strategy for developing his leadership skills.
He’d always figured it out on the fly.
Sound familiar?
Like many leaders’, Sam’s at a point in his career where leadership is increasingly important. He’d like to keep improving. But isn’t sure where to start.
If, like Sam, leadership is on your mental to-do list, here’s a few suggestions to get you started:
#1: Read a little
30 minutes/day. Or 15. Whatever fits in your schedule.
Read something engaging enough to keep you interested. Or at least keep you awake.
Audiobooks or videos if those suit your preference and lifestyle. Audio is great for the daily commute.
It may not seem like much, but those 30 minutes add up to 132.5 hours/year. Or 16.5 hours each month.
More than a full day each month learning your craft.
That’s a great start.
One thing that can make this tough is figuring out what to read. On the topic of leadership - well, you won't lack options. In next week's post I'll share suggestions and my favourites.
#2: Weekly Review
You likely do weekly planning for a number of things already. Now you’ll add leadership to that list. Start small, keep it simple. Improve a little each week.
Here’s a simple process to get started.
Schedule a recurring meeting on Friday afternoons. 10-15 minutes should be enough.
For that meeting, find a quiet spot where you can give this your full attention.
Now….think back over the past week. Ask yourself "What 1 thing could I work on in the coming week that would make me a better leader?
Start with something easy. Small enough you’ll rack up a few successes in these early weeks once you work out the kinks. Over time you’ll naturally seek tougher challenges.
Add a reminder to the top of your to-do list.
And work on it through the week.
When Friday afternoon rolls around, time for your weekly meeting. Find a quiet spot. Start with a quick review (“So… how’d I do this week?”). Then ask yourself “What 1 thing could I work on in the coming week that would make me a better leader?” It may be another week working on the same issue. Or you’ve had your first success and are ready to try something new.
Repeat every week. If you do this every week for a year, imagine what you could accomplish.
In the early weeks or when you want to develop a skill quickly, a daily check in at the end of the day is a great option.
#3: Ask for Feedback
When you’ve had some success with #2 and are ready to take it up a notch, solicit feedback. Actively pursuing feedback is a great habit for developing your skills. And becomes more valuable as you rise through the ranks.
Start by asking someone you trust for specific and honest feedback.
It could be:
Your boss
One of your team members
A colleague you’re working with now. Or have worked with in the past.
Your mentor or advisor.
Or someone a little closer to home. One client asked his wife because “she’s pretty good at telling me exactly what I’m doing wrong.” :)
Your coach: I gather feedback for my clients from sources like those above. Often people aren’t great at giving feedback, so I ensure it’s specific enough to act on.
Ask“What 1 thing could I do to improve as a leader?” Or the version of this question that sounds like you.
Responses may vary. Some will be invaluable, others .... not so much. It's okay to ignore feedback that isn't helpful. It frees you up to focus on the feedback that is.
Conclusion
It can be confusing to know where to start when it comes to developing your leadership skills. And the higher up the ranks you go, the more important leadership becomes.
There are a lot of options to developing your skills. We’ve looked at a few.
Pick one and give it a try.
And that’s all it takes to get started.