Managers, experts and specialists may be authorities within their field, but these titles don’t give them instant leadership status. Accountants, lawyers and scientists have worked hard to build their expertise to a very high level. Transitioning from expert to leader is no longer about deepening that expertise but about broadening your abilities and developing leadership skills.
We all have it within us to be a leader. However, few are willing to go on the personal journey that is required.
The process for leadership development can be long, but ultimately very rewarding – and can be a positive influence in all areas of your life.
Together through my leadership coaching, we look at the challenges you face as a leader and learn how to develop leadership skills. It takes time to make the necessary shift in mindset and behaviour. However, this is all part of your leadership development framework that we will create together.
Developing as a leader requires a different way of thinking. A shift of focus occurs from you and your daily tasks to a wider, long range view of the team of people that you are leading.
People who start leadership development usually assume they have no time to take on this new role. Part of my job is to prove that this is a mindset that can be changed.
Firstly, I help you identify how you should be spending your time as a leader and then how to create the time to lead.
Then we work together to identify a definition of success which gives you balance in your life. This may mean scaling down the number of hours you spend working. Disproportionately long hours can lead to ill-health, stress and unhappiness. Wellness is vital to leadership development. A good leader experiences success in all areas of life. By looking after yourself – after all, you are the instrument of your leadership – you can be a role model for others and be sustainably effective as a leader.
The third step is to identify who you are as a leader. People who specialise in one area, identify themselves with their skill. As they are not experts at leading (yet!), there is a fear that they will not have the same level of success as in other aspects of their job. However, the journey of leadership development is all about establishing your own personal leadership brand. Realising what your powers, strengths, passions, values, purpose and vision are, allows you to create this brand. We then take this and align it with the organisation’s purpose and vision.
This entire process shifts the motivation to demonstrate your expertise to the motivation to engage and empower your people.
We then work on how to build up your confidence to delegate. One of the key struggles is coaching leaders to empower people to do all the stuff that they were holding on to. Delegation and trust in your people to carry out your tasks successfully is a huge turning point in the development process. I also help you learn how to ensure you and your people stay relevant to the needs of a changing and growing organisation. The last part of the jigsaw is learning how to effectively influence and align your intention and impact.
Remember, leadership development has its challenges and it isn’t a quick process – but it is one that has a profound effect on you, your people and your organisation.
